Knowledge Burns
by Jen Rock
Summary: What if both Singe and Lucian survived the events of the first movie? What role will they play in the future of both Lycans and vampires? Everything is going to change.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, Lucian and Singe would still be alive. However any characters present in the story that aren't mentioned in the books or movies are my own creations. Everything else belongs to Len Wiseman, Danny McBride, and Kevin Grevioux.

I only recently saw "Underworld" for the first time and I loved it. But they killed off my two favorite characters, Lucian and Singe, in the movie. I read plenty of stories where Lucian survives so I decided to write a story where both of my favorites get to survive. This is going to largely be told from Singe's POV although other viewpoints are present as needed and I'm going to try to delve into his background and past. I haven't seen "Underworld: Evolution," yet but I'm aware of what happens in it and I'll incorporate a little of that into the story although most of it will be ignored.

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"If we value the pursuit of knowledge, we must be free to follow wherever that search may lead us. The free mind is no barking dog to be tethered on a 1-foot chain." Theodor Wiesengrund Adorna

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Singe crouched with his head bowed as the two vampires turned their attention to the ones entering the room. His various wounds throbbed and burned and the chains irritated his wrist. Although Selene had removed most of the silver bullets there was at least one left in his shoulder and the poison was inching through his body but his pain was unimportant. He was going to die here. He didn't want to die but he knew they'd never let him leave this place alive. It would be worth it if Lucian succeeded in becoming a hybrid with Michael's blood. His decades of work would be fulfilled.

Viktor reacted with fury and surprise at the news of Amelia's death, his eyes shifting into vampiric blue. The very air in the room seemed to be charged with the anger of the vampire Elder. His sarcastic nature had gotten him in trouble before but Singe couldn't help himself. If he was going to die at the vampires hands, at least he could needle them as much as possible first. Grinning contemptuously, he began snickering causing both Selene and Viktor to turn towards him.

"It has already begun." He looked up at the vampire in glee and the man's eyes flashed. A heavy hand was lifted to deliver the killing blow and he braced himself for the impact.

"Wait!" Selene's plea caught Viktor by surprise as well as Singe. "He may still possess knowledge we could use against the Lycans. Please, my lord. You can always kill him later." Viktor glared at her but she'd just been proven right about Kraven so her words were due some consideration.

"Very well. We will deal with Lucian and Kraven first." Singe snickered again despite himself. The mighty vampire lord had backed down at his servant's request but he knew the real reason Selene had saved him. She had feelings for Michael Corvin. He'd sensed it back at the hideout. She knew Singe was the closest thing to an expert on the Corvinus line and it was Michael's blood that made him a part of this whole situation. She needed his knowledge as much as Lucian did.

Viktor's face darkened at the Lycan's grin. He may have agreed not to kill the worthless cur but he'd be damned if he'd put up with that sort of insolence from an animal. Snarling, he backhanded the scientist just hard enough to send him flying down the stairs. The chains ran from below and lengthened with the movement of the Lycan so that he slid quite a few feet. Singe landed over Marcus's chamber, out cold from the force of the blow.

"You!" Viktor waved to one of the vampires with Kahn. "Take that filth to a holding cell and treat its wounds enough to leave it alive for when I get back. I'll deal with it when I return."

Viktor walked out without a single glance backwards but Selene paused and eyed the room. Something was wrong, something she should be able to see. She could smell the Lycan's blood from where he lay sprawled atop Marcus's crypt but he was still alive so that wasn't it. Her mind filled with worry for Michael, the half-formed thought escaped her and she turned and followed Viktor. The other vampire approached as blood flowed from a cut on Singe's head as well as the wound in his shoulder, kept open by Selene's cruel fingers. Lycan blood oozed downward, spattering over the sleeping form of Marcus. The majority of it fell into the mouth of the slumbering vampire.

The Death Dealer removed the chains and picked up the unconscious Lycan with a grimace of distaste, dragging him towards the cells but the damage was already done. Black eyes opened as life began pumping anew through the eldest of vampires. A new creature had been born...


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

_Singe staggered through the tunnels desperately looking for any members of the Pack. The walls were splattered with blood, both Lycan and vampire judging from the smell, but he couldn't find any bodies. He didn't remember how he had escaped from Ordoghaz and made it here but there didn't seem to be anyone left._

_His head was ringing and everything kept blurring around him until suddenly his world was in sharp focus. Before him was a room that reeked of blood and silver and a scent he'd never smelled before. But all he could see was Lucian's corpse sprawled on the dirty floor._

_The scientist approached slowly, unable to believe what he was seeing. Lucian was the strongest of them all. He wasn't supposed to die, not like this. But there was no denying the wide, lifeless, gray eyes and the lines of silver poisoning disfiguring the alpha's body. The medallion was gone from around his neck but there was a look of almost peace on his face._

_Singe fell to his knees as despair washed over him. Lucian was his savior, his alpha, his friend. Now he was dead and so was everyone else from what he could tell. The emotions rose up inside him until he couldn't hold it in anymore. Throwing his head back, the beast within him howled in grief. _

_Voices answered him back and he looked up to find himself surrounded by vampires. Every one of the bloodsuckers that he'd ever seen from Selene and Viktor to the handful he'd used as test subjects in his lab was there. Most were long dead but still their arrogant, fanged visages sneered down at the defeated, kneeling Lycan._

_Then the beast took over. The sneers turned to surprise as a fully-transformed Lycan charged at them. Claws and fangs snapped at immortal flesh, tearing bloody furrows into his tormentors. Being a Lycan had never felt so right to the scientist. Selene was the first to die but when he was done all of them lay at his feet and Lucian and his packmates were avenged. Collapsing, he bled from numerous wounds they'd afflicted upon him and prepared to follow his leader into death._

Singe awoke with a start, his whole body still throbbing from the silver poisoning. The dream had been so real that he half-expected to be surrounded by corpses. Becoming more fully aware of his true placement, he found himself in a simple cell. It was small with a toilet, sink, and a mat that he was currently lying on. One thing that could be said for the pretentious vampires, even their cells were clean and bright as they couldn't abide filth in their beautiful mansion. It could have been far worse. Lucian's memories in his head showed him pictures of dark, dirty prisons where the smell alone could make one sick.

Sitting up slowly, he checked his injuries and was surprised to find that the silver had been removed from his system. His jacket was gone but otherwise he was still clothed. The thought of the vampires manhandling his unconscious body made him grimace in disgust but at least he was still alive. The medical attention must have been recent as his body hadn't healed yet despite the absence of the silver.

He couldn't Change anyway. He'd taken the enzyme as usual, not realizing he might need to assume his Lycan form. But how was he to know Lucian would send him on a field mission? He hated Changing anyway; the pain of his body reconfiguring itself was too much to bear. Although he did enjoy the heightened senses and the feeling of power that came with it, it would take real desperation for him to Change willingly. This situation was desperate enough for him to have tried it if he could. He hadn't changed since he'd developed the enzyme decades ago.

Lycans had known for centuries that wolfsbane stopped the Change but its use had been haphazard and the dosage had often produced varying results. Too much could kill a Lycan or leave them permanently damaged but too little wouldn't have enough effect and the Change would simply take longer to happen resulting in more pain. In one of his first successes as a Lycan scientist, he'd managed to make a useful extract out of it with more predictable results. It had been more for his own benefit than the Pack's. His work was too important for him to waste time surrendering to the moon's pull every month and it was far easier to drug the beast within than to learn to live with it.

Lycans generally prided themselves on their strength and their fierceness. Smaller and older than most Lycans were when they were recruited, Singe would be considered an omega by most werewolves. Only his scientific genius and Lucian's backing had allowed him any status. If Lucian were dead, he didn't know what would happen to him but his dream had been just that and nothing more. He didn't believe in prophecy.

The cell, indeed the whole mansion, reeked of vampires, a scent that made the animal within him growl in disgust. Pulling himself to his feet, the Lycan scientist hobbled over to the sink. There was no mirror but he was sure he'd look like a mess. The side of his head ached and he touched it cautiously, wincing as his fingers found the large gash on his left temple. It was barely scabbed over and still tender. The last thing he remembered was looking up at Viktor as the Elder's hand had come towards him.

He turned on the water and caught it in his cupped hands, lapping at it like the dog the vampires considered him. But survival was more important than pride and he drank for several minutes until he felt a slight bit better. Then he cleaned the dried blood off of himself as best as he could. Returning back to the mat, he sank down and laid his head against the cold wall.

Questions kept running through his head as his scientific mind ran over the situation again and again. How long had he been unconscious? Had Pierce and Taylor captured Michael? Was Lucian now a Hybrid? And what was to become of him? Rescue was almost impossible now unless Lucian succeeding in destroying the vampires. Singe's survival which was entwined with the very survival of the Lycan species now depended entirely on Lucian.

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Raze made his way to Lucian's office as quickly as he could. From the sounds of fighting, he knew the vampires were already here but if he could get Amelia's blood to Lucian, he was confident everything would be all right.

The big Lycan stepped into Lucian's room and froze. His alpha lay sprawled on the floor with liquid silver oozing from several bullet wounds. The beta felt a rage overcome him. If Lucian was dead they were all lost. Snarling he put the bag down and ran to the alpha's side. He was careful not to touch the silver-filled wounds as he examined Lucian. Lucian's eyes were closed, his face marred by gray lines of infection and he appeared dead but to Raze's relief, there was a faint pulse at the alpha's neck.

Retrieving the syringe, he carefully slid it into Lucian's arm and depressed the plunger sending the vampire blood into Lucian's veins. When he'd called to tell Lucian he was on his way back, the alpha had told him he'd taken Michael's blood. This should work. It had to work.

The sound of fighting drew nearer. Every cell in his body longed to Change and join the fray but he couldn't leave Lucian unguarded. Suppressing his rage, he picked the unconscious Lycan up and moved towards the back room which was more easily defended and secure. He didn't know how long it would take for the reaction to occur but he'd stay by Lucian's side until it did.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Anton. Also, I had to give Singe a name as I'm sure he had one before he was turned so I guess I own his original name too.

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Singe attempted to get comfortable in his tiny, cold, cell but it was difficult. His body was attempting to heal itself but to do so it was using what little energy he had left. His stomach growled with the desperate need for raw, bloody meat. Curled on the mat, he drifted in and out of consciousness.

How much time had passed since his arrival here? He wasn't sure but he thought it was still night out so perhaps a couple of hours at most. He could sense the pull of the full moon even here in Ordoghaz's basement, even with the enzyme holding his wolf at bay. His mind drifted back to the first time he'd ever met Lucian. It seemed like it had only been a short time ago. Most of his life as a Lycan had been spent in underground bunkers, moving from country to country to avoid the Bloods. His human life in Austria was like a dream, one that surrounded him now as close as he was to death.

Vienna, Austria

April, 1952

The man who would one day be known as Singe trudged through the dark streets of Vienna. He was exhausted, working overtime to complete his experiments before the cancer killing his body made it impossible to continue. There wasn't enough time for all the work he wanted to accomplish and he doubted his assistants were competent enough to take over what he'd begun.

It was nearly midnight and the streets were deserted but he wouldn't have cared if a robber set upon him now. Inside, it seemed to him as though he was already dead and only sheer will kept his body going. The moon was a thin crescent above him and its sparse light left much of the familiar path home in shadow. He remembered how his home city had looked during the war. Everyone had lived in fear, every day an uncertainty. People had hurried between chores or work, rarely smiling at each other. Now, the city was undergoing an economic rebirth. Vienna had been given new life even as he was losing his own.

The scientist turned into his own small house, his head bowed and then he heard his neighbor's dog barking. He raised his head and glanced around. Rolf was quite elderly and didn't get excited easily but now he sounded frantic and upset. He could even see the Alsatian leaning over the fence, his muzzle pointed at the man's own house. Clearly, something was spooking the dog. Trembling, he tried the knob and found it unlocked. The inside of the house was dark. He lived alone as his research had consumed all of his time and he'd never found time to marry.

The biochemist flipped the light switch and the sudden light revealed an empty hall. Rolf was barking loud enough to be heard from outside. The scientist went to the door of the parlor and there discovered his visitor. The man sprawled over the easy chair, one leg dangling over the chair arm, appearing completely at ease as he regarded the scientist.

The intruder was of average height, lean with a predatory air about him. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties with long brown hair, a neatly-trimmed goatee, and sharp gray eyes that never left the Austrian's own wide blue ones. The man was dressed oddly in a long, leather coat and a gold pendant dangled around his neck, gleaming in the light from the hallway.

"Wer sind Sie? Was wunschen sie?(A/N)" His voice shook and his whole body was tense as he debated whether to run. The man grinned, exposing sharp white teeth. Rolf's barking cut out with a sudden painful yelp and he glanced in the direction of the noise. In the second that he looked away, the stranger was out of the chair and standing in front of him. The scientist's eyes widened even further. How could anyone move that fast? Maybe running wasn't an option.

"I'm not here to hurt you, doctor. I'm here to help you." The man spoke English with what sounded like a British accent. Although he continued to smile, his eyes were rather guarded as he watched the fear play over the older man's face. "You are Dr. Johan Zweig, correct?"

"Ja, but who are you? And what are you here to help me with?" He spoke English well enough to be understood so thought it prudent to answer the man in it.

"My name is Lucian." That told him nothing and the man didn't offer a last name. "I'm here to help you survive. I'm offering you a chance to continue your research for many years in my service."

"Impossible. There is no cure for leukemia." He was having a conversation with a lunatic. "I've read every research paper on it that exists. If this is some sort of scam, I can assure you I own nothing of value you can take from me."

"It's not a scam. The only thing I value is your intelligence and your expertise. But I doubt you'll believe me if I explained myself to you so I'll have to show you. Anton?" Another man stepped into view, sliding through an open side door so quickly he almost seemed to appear out of thin air. Johan gasped and his hand slid under his shirt to grasp

the silver cross around his neck. He wasn't a religious man but it had been his mother's and gave him some small measure of comfort.

"Anton, show Dr. Zweig what we're offering." The smaller, blond man nodded and stripped naked. He would have run right there but Lucian suddenly had a strong grip on his arm. He'd thought things were strange before but now it got stranger. The naked blond man began to change. The muscles of his body rippled and seemed to expand. Fur sprouted all over his rippling, darkening skin. Nails curved into claws, bared teeth became fangs, and Anton gained a good foot in height.

"Gott en Himmel." Johan stared at the transformed werewolf with horror but the scientific part of his mind was intrigued. Still, the shock was too much on his weak system and he felt his knees start to buckle. Lucian supported him and guided him to a chair. Then he crouched down to be at eye-level with the shaken scientist.

"We are Lycans, an ancient race facing extinction. We need your scientific expertise." Dr. Zweig listened as Lucian talked of the war with the vampires and how the Lycans were losing. They needed to level the playing field and science was the key to their survival. As Lucian talked, Johan began to calm down. The idea of vampires and werewolves running around killing each other under the unsuspecting noses of humans seemed absurd. He would never have believed Lucian if it weren't for the large, hairy proof still crouched in the middle of his parlor watching him with glowing blue eyes. Johan returned the Lycan's regard as his mind began to churn through the possibilities.

How did this Change occur? How could the bones, muscles and skin go through such an arduous transformation and back again without long-term physical problems? It must cause great physical stress on the body to change in such a way. Not only did the bones, skin, and muscles have to change but Anton had actually added mass and height to his frame. How was that even possible?

He was surprised that the Lycan didn't have a tail. It would help as a counterbalance to the massive, hunched frame. Still the Lycan seemed to move with an almost feline grace as he shifted his weight. What sort of chemical changes occurred in the blood during the process? It was a whole unknown field of research and he found himself fascinated with the chance to study the biochemistry of these creatures.

"So do you accept, doctor?" He realized that he'd been studying Anton so intently that he'd missed the last bit of Lucian's speech. He blinked in confusion.

"Sorry. Accept what?"

"Do you agree to join us? If you become a Lycan, you will be immortal. Your sickness will be gone and you will have nothing but time to pursue your research."

"Unless one of these 'Bloods' shoots me full of silver, nein?" He laughed shakily. "You want me to become like THAT? Is that the price of my survival?"

"If you accept and become a Lycan, you will only change under the full moon and after a while you'll be able to Change at will like Anton or myself. Think about it, doctor. Your sickness will be gone. You'll be stronger, faster, even in your human form. And if all goes well, you'll have an eternity to follow your scientific interests."

Really what choice did he have? He was dying anyway. If it worked...he practically salivated at the thought of unlimited time to follow his experiments. He was quite sure that Lucian wouldn't take no for an answer anyway. He knew too much and one way or another, his mortal life was over tonight. Taking a deep breath, he nodded.

"What do I have to do?"

"I only have to break the skin to introduce the virus."

Johan shuddered but held his bared arm out. Lucian's eyes had turned the same glowing blue as Anton's and his already-sharp teeth lengthened. He'd thought that Lucian would need to change all the way but apparently that little bit was enough. The process had hurt more than he'd thought. Lucian's bite upon his wrist had been minor, barely breaking the skin. But when the virus had hit his system, the pain had been intense.

It began with a sensation of coldness, and the lights suddenly seemed too bright. Colors sharpened and smells became intense. The silver cross around his neck felt warm and then began to burn his skin. Gasping, he fumbled for the clasp and tore it off, throwing it away from him. His skin was burned in its shape but even as he watched the skin began to heal itself and the mark faded.

The pain seemed to increase in waves and soon he'd slid out of the chair to fall to his knees with his arms wrapped around himself in a futile effort at comfort. Lucian was watching sharply and at a nod from him, Anton began changing back into his human form. Johan watched in a daze as the bestial form melted away into the lean, blond man. He would be able to do that soon. He would be something other than human but would his new form be better or worse?

Strange memories flooded his head in flashes of confused clarity. A beautiful woman's face bathed in light and yet contorted in agony...the full moon floating above as he loped through an ocean of scent and sound...the sneering face of a dark-haired, fanged man as he held up a bloody, tattooed swatch of skin...the taste of blood in his mouth as he feasted on the bones of his enemies. All these passed through his mind without understanding.

His body hadn't changed into a Lycan right then as the moon wasn't full but it had still hurt as his very DNA was rewritten. He remembered writhing on the floor while the two Lycans held him down to prevent injury but most of the experience was a blur. His body craved meat to fuel the change and he ate what was given to him. He didn't even care that it was Rolf's remains he was eating in his frenzy.

When it was done, he felt wonderful. His senses were so acute that noise and scents were overwhelming until he got used to them. The pain and fatigue from his cancer were gone and he looked at everything with new eyes. Lucian had grinned when the process was done and helped him to his feet.

"Welcome to the Pack, doctor."

He'd taken two days to tie up all the loose ends, instructing his assistants to take over his projects, and informing everyone he knew that he was leaving to live his last days in the countryside. Finally, when the time came to leave with Lucian and Anton to meet the rest Pack, he was able to come to grips mentally with the change. He was alive and the sickness was gone. He was going to live forever...

Singe was jolted out of his dream by the sound of approaching feet. He could hear and smell at least four vampires approaching. This was the end. His life as a Lycan had barely lasted half-a-century. Shivering, he braced himself for whatever was to come.

A/N: German translations:

"Wer sind Sie? Was wunschen Sie?"Who are you? What do you want?"

"Gott en Himmel."God in Heaven

"Ja,"yes

"Nein,"no


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Some of the descriptions in here are from Greg Cox's novelization of the movie although I've tried to put them in my own terms and of course some things are completely different. This chapter is VERY long. This is probably the only one in which Singe does not appear in some way, except by mention.

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Selene was in full Death Dealer mode as she ran with Michael by her side. Every sense was hyped up as she listened for any sound of Lycans or her fellow vampires approaching. Both would likely attack her on sight, the former as prey and the latter as a traitor. But she knew what she was doing was right and she'd fight and kill anyone who tried to stop her.

They paused at an intersection while she tried to decide which way to go. Michael looked sick, his face was flushed and his body dripped with sweat. The Change was fighting to happen within him even with the enzyme blocking it. She could smell the Lycan taint coming from his every pore and instinct urged her to kill him now. But every time she looked into his tired, frightened eyes, her heart seemed to leap in her chest and love overrode instinct.

She was conflicted as she stared at the two different directions they could go down. They needed to find a way to the surface and from there to shelter but these crumbling tunnels were unfamiliar and she was lost. It didn't help that the stench of Lycans lingered everywhere making her twitch at the slightest sound. Michael was breathing harder now and her attention was split between concern for him and testing each tunnel for any sound or smell that would tell her which way to go.

Eventually she made her choice and they went on until they came to a large room housing a rusty generator. The room was dim and Selene looked around, searching for another way out. Michael found a door and pulled it open only to step back startled when a figure loomed out of the darkness beyond. He didn't recognize the dirty, dark-haired man dressed in torn and bloody clothes but Selene did.

She didn't even have time to gasp a warning as Kraven lifted the silver nitrate gun and fired. Three shots rang out, slamming Michael back into the wall. He'd thought the change back in the cop car had been painful but this was worse as his veins seemed to be on fire. The burning pain was spreading through his body at an alarming rate and his body began seizing. Selene dropped to her knees beside him, ignoring Kraven in her concern for Michael. He was clearly dying in agony and there was nothing she could do about it.

"You're coming with me." Kraven's words penetrated her grief as he grabbed her arm and tried to pull her to her feet. She shook his grip off with a snarl.

"Never! I only hope I live long enough to watch Viktor slowly choke the life from you." She'd hoped to anger him, enough to attack her so she could have the chance to grab the gun. Instead he drew back a pace and glared at her with hatred.

When Kraven replied with the accusation that Viktor had killed her family, not Lycans, all of her bravado crumbled around her. She wanted to scream at him, to call him a liar but looking back she realized it was true. She could picture the torn, bloody bodies of her family in her head as if it had just happened. With all the knowledge she had now of Lycans and vampires, it was clear what had killed them. Everything she had ever known was a lie.

She wanted to rip his gloating eyes out but her body was just numb. She knelt on the cold, filthy floor next to the dying man she had only begun to love and wondered if death wouldn't be preferable to an eternity of this emptiness. When Kraven tried to force her to leave with him again, she found enough emotion to let her full hatred for him show on her face. She WOULD rather die than go anywhere with him.

"So be it." He was about to put the gun to her forehead when there was a roar louder than anything either of them had ever heard and a Lycan swept into the room and pounced on Kraven. The regent shrieked in terror as he was pinned down by jagged claws. Selene had no weapons on her and she wouldn't have lifted a finger to help Kraven but she did get to her feet, ready to protect Michael in any way she could.

The Lycan didn't immediately kill Kraven. Instead, it seemed to be enjoying his fear as it growled in his face. She realized that it didn't look like any Lycan she'd ever seen before. No one would mistake a Lycan for a normal wolf but this one looked closer than any she'd ever seen. It was covered with sleek, black fur and it's muzzled face more closely resembled a wolf than normal. It's clawed hands dug into Kraven's shoulders as it looked up at her with jet black eyes and she saw the pendant gleaming around it's neck.

"Lucian." She stated the obvious and the Lycan grinned, exposing sharp teeth that gleamed whitely in the dark room. Kraven tried to struggle then, his eyes going wide.

"It can't be. You're dead. I killed you myself."

"I got better." Lucian shifted back to human form enough to speak but his eyes were still black. His human self looked unchanged otherwise but clearly Lucian was something different now. Was he the hybrid abomination Singe had predicted?

"You shot me in the back like a coward, Kraven. Therefore, you're going to die a coward's death, helpless and afraid." He shifted back as Kraven began to struggle. The muzzled face grinned wider and then those sharp teeth were at Kraven's neck. The vampire regent screamed and tried to beg for mercy but it came out more as a gurgle as Lucian's fangs tore through his throat. Kraven twitched a few times and then went still, his eyes still wide open and terrified even in death. Lucian spat the blood from his mouth and stood up as human again.

"Not even worth eating." His cultured voice sounded amused and then a rattling gasp from Michael drew his attention back to his audience. Selene put herself between Michael and Lucian even though she knew she was no match for the Lycan. But the hybrid made no move towards her but instead studied the dying, newly-minted Lycan before meeting her sharp gaze.

"Do you love him?" She met those black eyes steadily.

"Completely." She knew it to be true even though she barely knew Michael Corvin. She'd known it from the moment she'd seen him in the subway station. No one had ever made her feel this way before.

"Then bite him." She didn't understand at first. "It's the only way to save him." Realizing what Lucian meant, she crouched down and gathered his shuddering form into her arms.

Could she really do this? She'd never changed a human before although she knew how the process worked. And would she still love him when he was a strange, black-eyed hybrid like the one watching this very intimate moment? Yes. Deep down, she knew it wouldn't change her feelings no matter what he became.

Her fangs sank into his neck and she tasted his blood, gasping as sensations flooded her. As the vampire virus began to course into Michael's body, his convulsions slowed and he seemed to relax. She looked down at his slack face and smiled for the first time in a long time. It was going to work. They were going to make it through this. A powerful hand gripped her by the shoulder and hauled her to her feet tearing her away from Michael. She pulled back and faced her attacker.

"What is going on here?!." Viktor stood there, glaring at her and she froze with Michael's blood on her lips. There were Death Dealers with him but they held back as the Elder looked at her with a mixture of disgust and anger. "My own beloved child, bane of Lycans everywhere, not only aiding one but changing him into a monstrosity. I'm beyond disappointed with you, Selene, although at least that traitor Kraven is dead."

She took a defensive stance and faced her sire. A quick glance over her shoulder showed that Lucian was nowhere in sight. Apparently he wanted to see how this played out. The former Death Dealer met the Elder's contempt with her own.

"How dare you call me beloved? You lied to me all these years. Kraven told me how you were the one who murdered my family." His face registered surprise then darkened and he took a few steps towards her, fists clenched in anger before he managed to control himself.

"You have to understand, child. I've given you far more than I ever took. Is not the gift of immortality a fair trade for your losses as a mortal?"

"No." She couldn't stop the tears that were leaking from her eyes. "My family were innocents. They'd done nothing to you and you butchered them like cows. You're more of an animal than any of these Lycans. At least they don't hide what they are. You wear a mask of civility to hide the murderer within. I owe no allegiance to you."

She'd never seen Viktor as angry as he was now. With a snarl, he threw Selene across the room. She hit the wall and lay stunned for a second before struggling to her feet. Viktor stood over Michael who was beginning to stir. She moved to attack and the Death Dealers in the doorway pointed their guns at her. She'd known all of them for centuries but there was no mercy in their eyes.

"Once again, I am forced to do what is necessary to protest the species." He raised his silver sword to bring it down upon Michael's unprotected skull. Even as she cried out in protest, a black shape emerged from the shadows and smashed into Viktor with such force that both of them broke through the crumbling concrete wall and fell through it locked together. Selene heard the sound of two bodies hitting water well below the room.

The vampire soldiers rushed forward to protect their lord but another Lycan, this one "normal" in appearance swept through the door behind them, killing two of them before they even knew what hit them. The other guard fell back and the Lycan went in pursuit of him leaving her and Michael alone. One of the dead guard's gun lay near his torn body. Needing a weapon, she scooped it up and tried to decide what to do. She couldn't leave Michael here defenseless but she wanted to go after Viktor and Lucian.

But then Michael began coming to and looked around in a groggy manner. She started to approach him but all of a sudden his back arched and his eyes went black. His skin rippled, turning gray and claws extended from his hands.

Selene didn't know what to do as Michael writhed helplessly. He might very well attack her out of confusion if she tried to help him but she had to try. Keeping an eye out for any approaching immortals, she edged forward towards him. He'd gotten to his hands and knees now with his head hanging down and his body seemed to have completed its change. He still retained a human shape, much more than any Lycan she'd ever seen, but his skin was covered by a thin coat of blue-gray fur. His hands and feet bore sharp claws that she needed to be careful of as she stopped a foot away and crouched down.

"Michael? Are you all right?" He looked up at her then with jet black eyes. The change had been stressful on him and his chest heaved as he panted, each breath hissing out between sizable fangs. But when she held out a hand, he gave a semblance of a smile and took it, allowing her to pull him to his feet.

The two stood together, just reveling in each other's presence and then the sound of fighting caught their attention. They moved to the hole in the wall and cautiously looked through. Below them, Viktor and the hybrid Lucian faced each other in knee-deep water. Hatred twisted their faces as they glared at each other.

"Hello Viktor. It's been a while." Lucian's tone was ice cold as he stared at his beloved Sonja's murderer. Viktor took in Lucian's changed appearance and his lips curled back from sharp fangs.

"Abomination! I should have killed you the minute I found you had defiled my daughter with your presence."

That was too much for Lucian to bear and he was on Viktor in an instant, his claws and fangs tearing at the vampire Elder. In turn, Viktor got in blows as well that staggered the hybrid back. Lucian was the stronger but his moves were dictated by rage. All these centuries of careful planning, all the times he'd kept his emotions in check while his fellow Lycans had submitted to their berserker rage, all that was gone now. There was only the animal fighting to rend its enemy limb from limb.

Viktor was fighting from anger too but he kept his movements controlled. He was older than the Lycan alpha and had more experience in personal combat. Lucian had ruled with his head first and then his fists but Viktor had always been feared for his skill at destroying his enemies.

The fight raged back and forth. Bones were broken and blood spilled only for the wounds to heal almost as quickly as they were inflicted. The two combatants were almost evenly matched but to the two watchers, it seemed as though Viktor was slowly gaining the upper hand. More of his blows got through and Lucian was still unused to his new abilities. He was tiring. But Viktor had forgotten that Lycans true power had always been in the loyalty and numbers of the pack.

Lycans appeared all around the upper edge of the room. Viktor was surrounded by glowing eyes and even if he killed Lucian, he'd never get out alive. Still, the pack didn't come forward. This was Lucian's fight to win or lose and they wouldn't interfere unless their alpha asked them to.

Selene had no such compunctions. She wanted Viktor to pay for killing her family, lying to her all these centuries and then trying to kill Michael. Glancing behind her, she spied Viktor's silver sword just a few feet away where he'd dropped it. She handed the gun to Michael and grabbed the sword instead.

Jumping through the hole, she caused both combatants to stop and face her. Lucian crouched uncertainly, his fur matted with blood and his eyes like black holes that reflected none of the dim light. Viktor actually smiled at her, his eyes blazing like a madman.

"I knew you'd come to your senses, my dear. Give me the sword and we can finish this monster together. All will be forgiven."

"You're the only monster here." She attacked him then, the sword like a natural extension of her body as all of her Death Dealer training came into play. Viktor was shocked but he managed to dodge her blow. Snarling, she kicked his feet out from underneath him and stabbed down with the sword, catching him in the shoulder.

Her sire roared in pain and ripped the sword from her grasp, throwing it aside with a splash. Any restraint on his part was gone and he attacked her with every bit of strength and skill he had. All her training was useless against the assault and she found herself sprawled in the water, blood dripping from the side of her face and his hands around her neck. Viktor would have killed her right then and there but shots rang out and he released her and staggered back.

"Get away from her." Michael's voice was full of hatred. Too much had happened to him over the past twenty-four hours that he couldn't understand and Selene was his only lifeline. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her. The young hybrid jumped down from the hole and landed in the water with a splash. Viktor was injured and the reality of his situation hit him. He was surrounded by enemies with no hope of escape.

"You should try to die with some dignity, Viktor. It's more than you gave Sonja." Everyone looked to Lucian and were shocked to find him standing there with the silver sword in his hand. No smoke rose from where his hand touched the hated metal.

Viktor gasped and actually tried to back away but Lucian was faster. Surging forward, he swung the sword in a high arc and the vampire Elder stumbled back. From Selene's viewpoint, it had almost looked like Lucian had missed and then as Viktor reached up to his head futiley, the top half slowly slid off the rest off his body and it tumbled forward.

The water turned red around his corpse and all Selene could do was stare. She'd wanted to kill him herself but with him dead, part of her mourned. He'd been a father figure to her for so long that it was hard to believe he was gone.

Michael pulled her to her feet and both of them faced Lucian uncertainly. The hybrid was looking at Viktor's body with satisfaction. His revenge was complete but he's sacrificed so much to get to this point that it almost felt too easy. Snarling softly, he took the sword and hacked Viktor's body into more pieces. Then he tossed the sword away and faced the two of them.

"Thank you for your help. Both of you are free to go. None of my pack will harm you. You have my word."

"Go? And where will we go? My kind will hunt us down for this and once Marcus awakens, he'll come after us as well. We have nowhere to go."

Selene couldn't hide her bitterness. Her whole life as a vampire was nothing but a lie and now she was an outcast. How long would she and Michael last on their own? By herself, she might stand a chance but Michael was ignorant of combat and yet she couldn't simply leave him here. Newly-turned vampires were as ignorant as children. They had to be taught to control their new abilities and to restrain themselves from killing every human they saw.

She didn't even know what sort of things a vampire-Lycan hybrid would need to learn. Any immortal they met would try to kill them and trying to live among humans, unnoticed would be difficult. They would be on the run, forever looking over their shoulder for the Death Dealers who would undoubtedly be sent after them. There were covens all over the world and they wouldn't be able to escape detection forever. No, there was no way out of this that she could see.

"You could come with us. I could always use more warriors." Lucian studied both of them with seeming calm but she could detect a hint of sympathy in his voice. She was taken aback at the very idea. Travel with a pack of Lycans after so many centuries of hating and killing them? Just because they hadn't killed her family didn't mean they weren't violent, vicious animals. It seemed impossible to contemplate any such action but what choice did she have? There was safety in numbers after all. She glanced at Michael but he was still confused so she made a decision. She chose to do what was best for him not for herself.

"If you can guarantee our safety, we accept." The other Lycans came down then, shifting into human form until one end of the room was crowded with naked men all either glaring at her or looking uncertain. In the forefront was Raze, the huge black Lycan from the train station only two days ago. He gave her a murderous look and she braced herself. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Selene and Michael are under my protection. If any of you attempt to harm them, you'll answer to me. Is that understood?" There were bowed heads and assenting rumbles from the other Lycans although some, especially Raze, looked disgusted. But they wouldn't go against their alpha.

"What is going to happen to Michael now? How is being a hybrid going to affect him?" She reached out and took his hand as she asked the question and felt a slight thrill as he squeezed her hand gently in return.

"I don't know. I'm still trying to get used to it myself. The one who would know is gone. He was lost at the safehouse we took Michael from." There was a note of regret in Lucian's tone. Selene's thoughts went to the little, Austrian scientist she'd taken prisoner.

"He's not lost. I know exactly where he is."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Ownership still eludes my grasp.

Singe watched as four vampires appeared outside of his cell, glaring at him with disgust. They opened the door and two of them hauled him to his feet. They bound his hands with chains even though he was too weak to do much resisting and dragged him out of there.

"Don't try anything, vermin. Viktor may need you alive but he didn't say it had to be in one piece." This from the apparent leader of the four, a tall man with short-cropped hair and hard eyes. Singe wondered what Viktor could possibly want with him. He dreaded giving away any more of the Pack's secrets but he knew full well that even warrior Lycans would crack under torture so what chance did he have?

He was half-pulled, half dragged along empty corridors. They led him past the place where he'd been interrogated earlier. The crypts were dark and empty but he thought he smelled something odd as they passed and heard a strange rustling sound. The vampires didn't appear to notice and kept going until he was brought up to a huge room at the front of the mansion. When he'd been brought through here earlier by Selene, there had been bored, decadent looking Bloods lounging around looking at him with amused disdain. Now the same ones were there but they all looked frightened and huddled together in groups, whispering to each other.

There was a knot of vampires near the door, obviously of a higher authority than the other pathetic parasites. He was dragged to them and shoved forward so that he fell on his knees again. The group moved apart and he looked up to see Selene looking down at him. There was blood on her clothes and he shuddered as the smell told him that some of it was Lycan blood. The vampire herself appeared to have some minor wounds including bruising around her neck and a slight cut on her forehead but was relatively unharmed.

"All right, I need to move quickly. Sunrise is in an hour and Viktor needs to find Lucian before then." She reached down and hauled Singe to his feet. Lucian was still alive? He grinned despite himself. He knew his alpha was more than a match for any Blood.

"I should send reinforcements with you." The one who'd come to fetch Singe offered. Selene shook her head, already walking the Lycan scientist to the door.

"No Mason, Viktor wants all of you to stay here. The Lycans may have scattered but the mansion is still vulnerable right now. They're desperate enough to try anything. He wants you to keep a guard on Marcus's tomb at all times. Come along." She gave Singe a little shove out the door. "Put all the defenses up and wait for word."

"Understood." They both heard Mason ordering his men to follow him as he headed back towards the tomb. Then Singe was outside with Selene guiding him towards her car. The moon was full and bright tonight and just seeing it made him feel a little stronger although he could still use some raw meat. Any kind would do. Vampire flesh would taste especially sweet right now.

Selene shoved him in the back seat which at least was better than the trunk he'd been in on his way here. He thought desperately of a way to escape but he was too weak and even if he got past her somehow he wouldn't make it five steps before someone in Ordoghaz shot him down. She got in and started the car.

As they headed out the gate, another car turned down the drive, headed for Ordoghaz. Selene swore under her breath and accelerated. Singe stared out the window as they passed the car and was surprised to see that it was Bloods behind the wheel. The three vampires inside looked like they'd been through a fight. He could see various wounds and tears in their clothing.

The vampires looked just as startled to see him and Selene. For a moment, they slowed down and started to turn as though to follow, but Selene was going too fast and they were quickly left behind. Singe assumed these vampires had been part of the fight with the Lycans but why did Selene seem so determined to avoid them?

It didn't make sense unless maybe she thought talking to them would slow down her mission. Or perhaps they were some of Kraven's traitors but why would they be returning to the mansion if their master's ruse had been discovered? Singe had the sense that much more was going on than he knew. But he did know that he was at Selene's mercy and she was taking him to Victor for further torture.

"Vampire bitch! I won't tell you anything. I'll die before betraying Lucian." He snarled at her trying to put on as brave a front as he could while tied up and captive to a cold-blooded killer. She glanced at him in the mirror but made no reply.

It wasn't until they were well out of sight of the mansion that the vampire reached over and withdrew a packet of blood from the glove compartment. His stomach growled at the sight of it but he assumed it was for her until she tossed it into the back seat right next to his hands.

Singe stared at it and then her in confusion. Was she trying to keep his strength up so he'd survive whatever tortures she and Viktor had planned for him? He wanted to resist so badly but the smell of it was making his stomach growl loudly and his hands shake in need.

Finally, hating himself for his weakness, he tore open the packet and clumsily brought it to his lips with his bound hands. The taste made him want to whimper in delight as he drained the whole thing. Of course, Lycans preferred meat to blood but in his weakened state it was like ambrosia and already he could feel his body strengthening and his wounds healing.

Selene drove in silence as he lay back in the seat. All of this reminded him of another car trip long ago. He hadn't been bound by chains then but by duty and loyalty to his new alpha. Sometimes they seemed to be the same thing.

Vienna, Austria

May, 1952

Johan sat in the back seat with Lucian as Anton drove the car out of the city. They were going west to meet up with the rest of the Pack just over the border in Czechoslovakia. The biochemist was nervous. He wasn't sure what sort of reaction he'd receive from the other Lycans.

Oh, they'd accept him because Lucian said so but he got the impression, both from Lucian's memories and what he'd been told, that he would be unusual. Most pack members were young, brawny warriors and he was...not. And he'd never been much of a people person anyway. He had little patience for ignorance or anything that interfered with his experiments. Hopefully, he'd be able to keep to himself as much as possible.

"I think you need a new name, doctor." They were nearing the border when Lucian, who had been staring out the window at the passing scenery, turned to him. Johan blinked a few times.

"Vas? Why?"

"Your current name is too well known from the news. It would be easier for you to start your new life with a new name. Plus it would have a sort of symbolic value." The alpha smiled at him lazily and he found himself nodding in agreement. One name was as good as any, he supposed but all of his work had been done under the name, Dr. Johan Zweig, and it was a bit sad to put that aside. But his old life had died and a new name might be just the thing to acclimate him to all the changes.

"I've never had to change my name before. I'm not sure what to pick."

"Most of only use one name but I do have an idea." He tossed a newspaper on Johan's lap. The scientist picked it up and found himself reading a story about his cancer diagnosis. Lucian had circled one passage. It was a quote he'd made to the reporter when asked how he felt about dying.

"My only regret is that there is still so many things to be discovered in this world and I will see none of them. Knowledge is a flame that burns away the veil of ignorance but in my short time of existence I've barely singed that veil. Perhaps if there's another world beyond this one, I shall have time to find the answers I crave."

"How does Singe strike you? I think it's a very appropriate moniker."

The newly-named Singe agreed and already the sound of it was familiar. Anton also expressed approval. They passed the border and he felt everything of his old life passing away with his old name. There was only the future now.

It was well past noon by the time they entered a town in western Czechoslovakia. Anton drove them to a large warehouse-type structure and parked in the back. Singe got out with Lucian and looked up at the ordinary-looking building. He would have thought the place deserted except that his newly-keen senses heard movement inside and brought him the odor of the Lycans within.

Lucian led the way with Singe just behind him and Anton bringing up the rear. The interior of the warehouse had been converted into rough living quarters. Cots and piles of blankets were placed around the room. Up above was a catwalk circling the whole room and patrolled by Lycans cradling rifles. There were about three dozen men inside who came to attention when they saw Lucian, bowing their heads in the presence of their alpha. One of the men strode towards them and Singe's eyes widened at the sight of the huge, dark-skinned man who looked like he could snap the scientist in half without even trying.

"Report." Lucian's voice was abrupt and commanding. Around Singe, he'd seemed relaxed and calm but now he stood imperiously, every inch the leader. His sharp eyes were trained on the other Lycan. The black man answered in a deep, grating voice that made Singe flinch.

"There have been no sightings of Bloods since you left, sir. It's been quiet and uneventful."

"Good." Lucian relaxed a bit and gestured to Singe to come forward and stand next to him. "Raze, this is Singe, our new scientist. I want you to make sure the others treat him with the proper respect. I don't want any of the usual reactions towards new members. Is that understood?" Raze looked the small, thin, bespectacled scientist up and down dismissively and then nodded.

"Singe, this is Raze, my second-in-command. If you have any problems and I'm not around, bring them to him." He nodded in understanding although he found the beta Lycan quite intimidating and hoped he wouldn't have to deal with him much. "I need to check on a few things. Anton, show him around."

Lucian headed off with Raze without waiting for a reply. The alpha was used to obedience from his pack members. Anton grinned at him reassuringly. The blond Lycan was the cheerful type and could tell Singe was ill at ease.

"Come on, doc. I'll give you the grand tour." The other Lycans all seemed to be staring at the newcomer and sniffing the air as if sizing him up. It made him slightly uneasy but at a withering glance from the passing Lucian they all scurried off to attend to various duties.

"Lucian told you how we have safehouses all over Europe and this is one of the better ones. There aren't any vampires in this town although we're always careful to keep an eye out for them. They look for any signs of our presence like large purchases of meat from local butcher shops or any reports of large dogs running loose. There's tunnels underneath leading to the sewers so we can come and go without attracting much attention."

They left the main room and entered a smaller group of rooms in the back. Some of them had obvious functions: bathrooms, food storage, and private rooms for the higher-ranking Lycans like Lucian and Raze. There was an armory which was the only guarded door. Anton introduced the two guards to Singe as Pierce and Taylor. Pierce, another tall, brawny man only grunted in reply when he was introduced but Taylor, a younger, red-headed Lycan grinned and nodded at Singe.

Finally, Singe was brought to an empty room in the back. It looked like it hadn't been in use for quite some time. Dim, late-afternoon sun shone through cracks in the boarded-up windows making random patterns across the floor and walls. The only features present were a cot, large table, and a good-sized sink.

"This is your room, doc. I know it's not much but it's the best we can do for now. We'll try to get you whatever stuff you need for your experiments." Anton sounded apologetic and certainly it was so very different from his bright, clean lab back in Vienna. For a moment, the enormity of his situation hit him. He was among strangers who cared not a whit for him and might very well turn on him with murderous rage if he crossed them. And he was reduced to scrabbling in dark, dirty rooms with what would probably end up being stolen and second-rate equipment.

But at least he was still alive and under Lucian's protection. Things could be worse. Shaking off his melancholy, he surveyed the room again and nodded. Yes, this would suffice for his needs.

"Thank you, Anton. May I ask you a question?" When the other Lycan nodded, he went on. "What did Lucian mean when he told Raze not to allow the others their 'usual' reactions towards newcomers?"

"Oh. Usually someone who's new will be looked down upon until they find their place in the pack. They have to fight for respect and prove their strength and worthiness. Lucian's already decided your worth so none of the others can cross you without crossing Lucian and Raze."

"And what place do you have in the pack?" The Lycan's smile disappeared and he drew himself up into an intimidating stance.

"A high one." He relaxed again and grinned. "The older the Lycan, the more power they have. I'm over a century old and most of those here are only a decade at best. Lucian's the oldest Lycan that I know of and he's seen at least seven centuries. In fact, I'm not even sure how old he is. He doesn't talk much about the past. You've got his memories so you know some of the reasons why."

Sonja. The name of someone who died centuries before he was even born made him shiver. Jumbled and confused as they were, every one of Lucian's memories in Singe's head were tinged with his love for her, his pain over her death, and his need for revenge. Singe pushed the past away and changed the subject.

"How long does it take to control the Change?"

"It depends on the individual. The average is about two years but it depends on the mental will of the Lycan. Raze could control his transformation within six months of being recruited. That's one of the many reasons he's the beta. And of course, purebreds can Change at will from a young age but they're rare."

"Purebreds?" Singe was intrigued. He'd learned some basic facts about Lycans but there was still so much he didn't know. Lucian's memories were often more of a hindrance than a help as they surfaced randomly, often with no connection or context. It was disconcerting but then so was everything else about his new situation.

"Purebreds are Lycans born to Lycan parents rather than exposed to the virus later on in life. They're usually stronger and faster than those like us because they're Lycans from the moment of birth. Lucian is purebred but they're unusual. The vampires target female Lycans to prevent any such births and kill any children they find."

Singe was horrified by that idea. What the vampires were doing was nothing more than genocide and the world had seen too much of that sort of action during the second World War less than ten years ago. It hadn't occurred to him until now that he hadn't seen any female Lycans in the main room. Anton must have anticipated his question or else he'd heard it before.

"There are some female Lycans and children as well but Lucian has them stay at places we know are safe. You'll probably meet some soon. We don't stay in any one place for too long and our next stop should be somewhere safer than this. There may not be any resident vampires here but they travel around, hunting for us and it's only a matter of time before some of them show up."

Singe nodded. He had a lot to absorb. Anton left only to return with Singe's two bags from the car. One contained clothing and a few small treasures of his past life, photos of his parents, and a few favorite books. The other contained some simple scientific equipment he'd been able to scrounge up. There were a microscope and slides, studies on genetics and biochemistry, scalpels, syringes, and a scale.

He also removed two notebooks and a pen. One of the notebooks was labeled "Lycan," and the other, "Vampire." Opening the first one, he began scribbling down what he already knew and what he hoped to learn. There was so much work ahead of him.

Singe's musings were brought to an end by the slight jolt as the car came to a halt. It was still dark out but Selene sent an anxious glance at the sky, gauging the time until dawn. Singe grinned at her uneasiness but then a random memory of Sonja, bathed in devouring light, came to the surface and he shuddered and pushed it away. It had been a long time since the blood-memories had come so randomly. It made him feel as though he were a new Lycan all over again.

The wind was blowing steadily and his nose caught the scent of smoke. For a moment, he thought it was part of the past but then Selene frowned and sniffed at the air as well. Off in the distance, they both heard the sounds of fire trucks heading away from them, in the direction they'd just come from.

The female Blood stared in the direction of the sirens for a moment and then she shook off whatever odd mood had come over her and grabbed Singe by the shoulder. He had no time to react as he was dragged out of the car and then into the building. They passed the dead bodies of Lycan guards at the front door and he cringed at the familiar faces. Luka and Hans were just two more names to add to the long list of those murdered by the Bloods.

He was led along familiar corridors smeared with blood and littered with bodies. To his satisfaction, there were quite a few vampires among them. Selene didn't look at any of them but seemed in quite a hurry. Singe tried not to cringe as he wondered what Viktor would have in store for him.

Finally they came out in the dimly-lit central room. Selene pushed him to the center of the room. He looked around, straining to see or hear anything in the dim room. Then lights flared along the edge of the room. He blinked several times to clear the spots from his eyes and then looked up to find Lucian looking down at him with a grin. Behind him were Raze and a small group of Lycans including a nervous young man he recognized as Michael Corvin.

"Lucian? You're alive!" He was in shock. What was going on here? Selene still stood next to him but the Lycans made no threatening moves towards her and she appeared calm.

"You didn't tell him?" Lucian appeared amused by the scientist's confusion.

"I'm not your messenger. Besides, I assumed you'd prefer to tell him the whole story."

"What is going on?" In answer, Lucian suddenly shifted and Singe gasped in astonishment at the black-furred creature before him. Lucian was a hybrid.

"It worked? It really worked?" His mind was swimming with questions and Lucian took pity on him and shifted back.

"Yes, it worked old friend, thanks to you. Viktor is dead and we are victorious. But I have so much more to tell you..."

"Vas?"What?


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Twenty minutes later, Singe found himself in a state of shock. There was so much to absorb. Lucian was now a hybrid but so was Michael Corvin. Viktor was dead at Lucian's hand but this vampire bitch was allowed to join the Pack or at least travel with them. The chains were gone from Singe's wrists and he'd been given meat to eat (vampire flesh did indeed taste sweet.) But he still felt as though this were another dream like the one of Lucian being dead.

Selene told Lucian that she'd retrieved Singe with little trouble. No one at the mansion knew yet that Viktor was dead or that she was involved in his death in any way. So she'd been able to waltz in, take the prisoner out, and leave. The only complication had been the Death Dealers who had seen her as she was leaving. The other vampires would figure out what she had done and conclude she was a traitor. There was no going back now.

The fighting in the tunnels had been harsh on both sides and barely a dozen members of the Pack remained. The majority of them were injured in some way. So as Lucian and Raze conferred quietly in a corner, Singe roused himself enough to begin treating the wounded. Casualties were a way of life among the Lycans. They were at war, after all. But still it hurt to see the number of missing faces, Pierce and Taylor especially.

Singe was crouched down, trying to dig a silver bullet out of a squirming Lycan's leg when he sensed someone standing over him. He glanced up and found Michael Corvin watching him with a wary expression. He had been standing in the opposite corner with Selene and her scent still clung to him like a shroud. Singe's hand tightened on the forceps, causing the Lycan to yelp as the bullet finally came out.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. It's just that I'm a doctor. Maybe I could help." He gestured at the Lycans who were still in need of medical attention. Singe studied the young man. Despite his new abilities, the hybrid was still thinking like a human. His whole body radiated uncertainty which could be seen as weakness by other Lycans. Still Singe knew something about adjusting to new circumstances.

"You can help if they're willing to accept it." Several of the Lycans were glaring at Selene and in turn, Michael who they clearly linked with her. Lucian must have heard Singe's comment because he came over to the two of them.

"We could definitely use your medical skills. I need everyone fit and able to move out as soon as possible. The vampires will come looking for us once they realize what we've done. I intend to be long gone by the next sunset." Lucian turned to the other Lycans. "Anyone who needs the attention of the doctors, get into two lines. The rest of you, start packing up whatever you can. We're moving out in a few hours."

"Where will we go?" Singe was tired. He'd labored so long to create a hybrid and now that it was done, he felt as though he had no purpose anymore. The scientist knew they had to leave but the events of the past two days were making him feel hollow and empty. Lucian, on the other hand, seemed energized and full of new life. His revenge against Viktor complete, he had an eternity ahead of him to build a new life for his people.

"We're going to Sanctuary. They'll never find us there and we can rest and plan our next move."

"You're going to bring that...Blood to Sanctuary? It's not safe. She could betray us all. And Isadore won't accept her presence." Singe would normally have never questioned Lucian. The alpha let him get away with sarcastic remarks that would never be tolerated from others but there was still a line. Singe hadn't questioned the surveillance mission he'd been sent on, despite his misgivings but this was too much. Lucian seemed more surprised than offended.

"She has given her word not to harm us. Selene has seen the error of her ways. And it's my call to make, not Isadore's. Remember that, Singe." There was the slightest warning growl in Lucian's tone and Singe instinctively bowed his head in submission. He would say no more about his misgivings but he would keep a very close eye on the former Death Dealer.

Michael was watching him out of the corner of his eye. His hands were busy stitching close a large wound on a Lycan's back but he was watching Singe. It was somewhat annoying but he supposed the new hybrid was trying to learn something from him. Singe didn't need an apprentice and he was so used to dealing with injuries now that he moved on autopilot as he probed, removed silver, cleaned blood up, and moved on to the next one.

"Who's Isadore?" Michael finally asked as they finished with the last of the injured Pack members. The chamber was nearly empty as most of the Lycans had scattered to begin packing their supplies. Selene had moved closer during their work and was keeping an eye on Michael. Of course, she could have helped, knowing full well how to remove silver as well as implant it. But none of the Lycans would have tolerated her touch, despite what Lucian said, even if the cold-hearted bitch was inclined to offer help.

"Isadore is the alpha female of our Pack. She rules over Sanctuary. Only Lucian has more rank than her. You'll meet her soon enough." Singe answered while he washed the blood from his hands. Lucian was still present but he stood silent, keeping an eye on Michael and Selene.

"And she won't accept Selene? Why not?" The young man was ignorant, so very ignorant. Singe couldn't answer fully with Lucian present but he did his best.

"Hatred of the Bloods is...installed in all of us but with Isadore, it's personal. She's lost much to them over the centuries including two of her own children. She's seen them slaughter whole families down to the tiniest infant in it's mother's arms. It will not be easy for her, having THAT one present."

"I don't kill children." Selene's voice was flat and she glared at him but he just sneered.

"Perhaps not but your fellow Death Dealers certainly did. And I doubt you would have hesitated if you'd had a Lycan child in your sights."

"Enough. Isadore accepted the plan to make peace with the vampires. She knew she'd have to deal with them at some point if we succeeded." Lucian didn't sound angry anymore; merely annoyed but there was a thoughtful look on his face. Perhaps he was finally realizing that there were still going to be problems and not all Lycans would be so quick to accept peace simply because he commanded it. There was going to be trouble ahead. Singe had no doubt about that.

"Yes, but not like this. Of course, you could always try biting Selene. Another hybrid would be more accepted." Selene glared at him harder and looked disgusted at the notion of becoming a hybrid herself and having Lycan blood running through her veins. Michael, on the other hand, looked intrigued.

"So, if I bite her, she'll become a hybrid?"

"That or die. Either way, problem solved." Singe didn't bother to hide the fact that he preferred the latter outcome. Michael almost looked hurt. God, the young man was naive. How was he ever going to survive in the Pack?

"Selene doesn't have Corvinus blood in her veins. I don't think she'd become a hybrid if bitten." Lucian sounded amused at the conversation but Selene did not.

"I may have agreed to help you but I have no interest in becoming an animal. If this Isadore won't accept me, then perhaps there's some other hideout of yours we can use. One that's empty, preferably." She didn't notice that Michael winced when she used the word "animal," to describe the hybrids. She loved him despite his Lycan blood but deep down inside it was still a source of contention for her even if she didn't think so.

"No, it's not safe. I stand by my promise of protection." Lucian had the conviction in his voice that he always got when discussing matters of honor. Singe had heard that tone of voice many times while discussing the plans for peace with Lucian. He didn't know how the alpha could still want peace with the vampires after all they had done to him but it was true. Other Lycans might plot the extermination of the Bloods with the same fervor that the Bloods did the Lycans but never Lucian.

Singe had finished packing up his medical supplies. He needed to pack up more from his lab before they could leave. What couldn't be taken must be destroyed. He couldn't allow any of the vampires to get their hands on his notes. Most of them were of no use anymore, now that Lucian was a hybrid but it went against his nature to destroy scientific research. So he'd save as much as he could.

"I need to go to the lab and get my things together." He told Lucian who nodded.

"Perhaps our guests can lend a hand?" It wasn't a suggestion as both Michael and Selene understood. Singe glared at the vampire but didn't object as she and both hybrids followed him back to the lab.

It had largely been untouched in the fighting and he hurried to begin getting his supplies and research together. Lucian and Michael helped but Selene merely stood there, appearing uneasy. Perhaps she thought she was too good to help or just didn't know where to begin. Either way, he didn't care as long as she stayed out of his way.

Singe packed as much as he could. He'd done this so many times now, left so many places behind, that no particular location had any special meaning anymore. He felt only relief to be away from these dark, dirty tunnels and off to somewhere where there was sunlight and trees and fresh air. The shelves before him were empty now and he realized the only supplies left were in the cabinets behind Selene. Suppressing his distaste, he approached her. She eyed him warily.

"I need to get in there." He kept his tone as civil as possible because Lucian was present but the beast inside him longed to rip her throat out and feast on her bones. She moved aside and he pointedly made a wide berth by her to reach the low cabinet.

He crouched and packed quickly, his hands moving without conscious thought, weighing each item and its worth before discarding it or making room. He could sense the vampire's gaze on him. Ignoring her was the wisest course of action. As he straightened up, wincing at the pain still present in his shoulder, the bag slipped out of his fingers and she stepped forward and grabbed it before it hit the ground.

For a moment, the two of them stared at each other, nearly face to face. Then he wrenched the bag back out of her hands and walked past her without a word to deposit the bag with the rest. What did she expect him to do? Thank her for one meaningless gesture of help? Lucian was giving him a look of disappointment. He wanted his Lycans to play nice with their new member but Singe couldn't bring himself to be civilized to the vampire. Lucian looked ready to comment but anything he planned to say was forgotten when one of the younger Pack members came running into the room so fast he nearly skidded into the wall in an attempt to stop himself.

"Sir, Lucian. There's something on the news you need to see. She should come too." The Lycan was panting, wide-eyed and clearly upset. Lucian practically bowled the pup over as he took off down the hall, followed closely by Michael and Selene. Singe came too but it took him longer to get to the common room where most of the Pack was crowded around a battered television set.

They parted for their alpha but he came to a halt as he stared at the screen. Singe heard Selene actually gasp as she saw whatever it was but he had to move forward past the woman to see what was so upsetting. The screen was on one of the local news programs. It showed a large building on fire and fire crews trying to fight the blaze. A small word on the screen proclaimed it to be a live shot. The significance of what he was seeing was lost on him until the Hungarian reporter began commenting again.

"Recapping our top story. A local mansion just outside of Budapest, known as Ordoghaz, is consumed by fire tonight while firefighters try desperately to subdue the blaze. It's unknown if anyone was inside. The mansion is owned by the Ziodex Corporation but no comment is yet available from the company. Our news crew was first on the scene and shot this bizarre footage."

The scene shifted to a jerky video feed, apparently from a handheld camera. Ordoghaz wasn't as fully engulfed as it was in the live footage but fire still crackled in every window and smoke poured from every opening. Just then, a dark shape seemed to burst through one of the windows and soared upward to be lost to sight amid the smoke. It happened so quickly that it was difficult to be sure but to Singe's eyes, the shape looked like a giant bat.

"Dead. They're all dead." Selene seemed to be in shock. Her eyes were ice blue and her fists were clenched in unthinking fury.

"My God. What was that thing?" Michael looked around as though expecting an answer but the rest of them were just as confused. "Who would want to burn down Ordoghaz?"

"Us." One of the Lycans sneered but a look from Lucian made him cringe. Singe ignored them, intent on figuring out what was going on. Inwardly, he was thrilled that all the Bloods within the mansion were probably gone but whatever had done this was powerful and dangerous. They needed to know more.

"Vampires can't fly, can they?" Michael looked even more uncertain now than before. All of this was still so new to him and he was probably thinking that if vampires and werewolves exist, what else was out there that he'd never seen before?

"It was Marcus." Everyone stared at Selene who seemed to have come out of her confusion and was staring at Singe who frowned at her in incomprehension.

"What? How?" Lucian looked sharply between the two of them as though they shared a secret he wasn't a part of it and it was annoying him.

"When Viktor was interrogating Singe, he hit him and made him land on Marcus's tomb. Singe was bleeding. The blood must have fallen through and awakened Marcus. Why didn't I think of it before? I should have realized what happened."

"Marcus is a hybrid? And he has Singe's memories?!" Lucian was not one to show panic but he couldn't hide the surprise. An Elder vampire was formidable enough but a hybrid one with all the memories of the only expert on hybrids? That was a nightmare.

"But why would he want to burn down his own followers?" Michael wasn't alone in his confusion.

"They were never his followers. Nearly every one of us had allegiances to Viktor or Amelia. Marcus was just a figurehead. Viktor actually found ways to get rid of those who were followers of Marcus. Any time he was awake, it was tense. Some whispered he was insane and they may have been right. He was always so capricious in his moods..." She trailed off, eyes slightly unfocused as though reliving a bad memory and then shook her head sharply. "Becoming a hybrid probably drove him over the edge. He took his madness out on the coven."

"There may be survivors. Where would they have gone if there were?"

"They would have tried to get to the safehouses but Marcus knows about most of them. With sunrise only a short time away, some may have gone to ground anywhere they could. I don't know whether Marcus cares enough to hunt them down." Selene chose her answers carefully, aware of how closely Lucian was scrutinizing her. She may have agreed to go with him for Michael's sake but she would not help him hunt down her former friends.

"Lucian? What's the plan?" Raze's deep voice drew Lucian's gaze from Selene.

"We can't go to Sanctuary now. He might follow us there. He..." The alpha suddenly stopped dead, all the blood seemingly draining from his face. "My God. He has Singe's memories. That means he knows where Sanctuary is as well as all of our other safehouses. RAZE! Call all of them. Tell them to go on high alert and move to alternate sites if they can. We need to get out of here. He knows where we are. MOVE!"

All the pack members went scrambling. Singe stayed where he was, feeling as though he might vomit. This creature, this hybrid knew everything he knew. Marcus could destroy most of the Packs and it would be all his fault. There might be nowhere safe to go with all the vampires still conspiring to kill them and Marcus on the hunt.

It occurred to him that Selene had technically saved his life twice in the past few hours. First by stopping Victor from killing him and then by getting him out of the mansion before Marcus burned it down. Still, she'd done so for her own gain and not because she had any empathy for him or the other Lycans. Everything was about her and Michael. It certainly wasn't enough for him to treat her with anything other than disgust.

"Singe, can Marcus move around in the daylight?" Selene was obviously trying to make sense of the situation. He didn't like having to pretend to have a normal conversation with her but the scientist in him pulled itself together enough to answer.

"Yes, he should be immune to sunlight. His form appeared much closer to a bat so I can't say for sure. He may still have some vulnerability."

"We can discuss this on the road. We are leaving."

"I know somewhere we could go that would be safe, at least temporarily. It's a safehouse in the woods outside of the city. Hardly anyone ever goes there and it's too far for any of the others to reach before dawn."

"That sounds perfect. Give Raze instructions on how to get there once we start driving. There's no time to waste."

Lucian directed them to follow as he went for the trucks. Singe climbed into a truck with Lucian, Raze, Michael, and a subdued Selene. As quickly as possible, the caravan headed out into an uncertain city with dawn already making it's presence known. There was the barest sliver of light on the horizon but it was enough to send Selene into the back of the truck to hide. It was going to be a long day.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Singe sat in the back of the truck amid the bags of supplies feeling as exhausted as he'd ever felt but somehow sleep wouldn't come. It was past dawn and the sun was fully up now but the inside of the van was dark as the windows had been blacked out to protect Selene. Still, the female vampire lay huddled against Michael wrapped in a thick blanket to ward off any stray beam.

It was laughable to be vulnerable to something as simple as light. True, it was a form of radiation, but a creature so affected by it that they burned to ashes at its touch was obviously defective. It amazed Singe that the vampires had ever gotten the upper hand. Silver may be toxic to Lycans but it had to get into the blood and flesh in order to kill and it wasn't that common. Light was everywhere for half the day. Selene was a hardened killer, a feared legend among Lycans. And yet, here she was, helpless and dependant on those she would have killed without a single thought only a day earlier. And all because of the light that made life on Earth possible.

Michael looked even more helpless. The young man was restless where he sat across from Singe but he wouldn't leave Selene's side. His whole demeanor was so much like that of a puppy trailing his mother that Singe might have laughed if the whole situation were not so dire.

Marcus would not be as helpless. The hybrid could be out there even now, flying above them and ready to swoop down and kill all of them. Who knew what purpose an insane, immortal hybrid might undertake? The scientist wondered how much influence his own memories would have on the hybrid. Marcus was the first vampire, the eldest, and he made Lucian seem young. How much had he been changed by Singe's blood and would it be to the Lycans benefit or not?

Singe hated vampires and according to Selene, Marcus had reason to hate the coven. Would the hybrid spend his time hunting down every last Blood and destroying them? That would be wonderful if it happened that way but he doubted it. Marcus could just as easily include hunting Lycans in whatever mad plan he was following and wipe out both species. Which ironically, might make Marcus a threat that could unite both groups of immortals in order to achieve the peace that Lucian dreamed of.

In some weird way, it felt as though Marcus were Singe's child since the scientist had unknowingly contributed half of the genes that made him a hybrid. Singe had never turned a human into a Lycan although he'd studied the process extensively. The Lycan virus altered the thinking of those who were exposed to it as did the vampire one. Those who were turned still had their own personality and individuality but the virus increased aggression and influenced the way they thought and reacted, in both Lycans and vampires.

He doubted that his blood would have any large effect on Marcus. The Elder was too strong, both mentally and physically, to be swayed by the memories and emotions of a Lycan who was young by the standards of immortals. Not that he felt young at the moment. All these thoughts of vampires made his mind drift back to the first one he'd ever seen.

Western Czechoslovakia

June, 1952

The past six weeks had seemed to fly by as Singe had conducted his research. Lucian had arranged for him to receive whatever lab equipment he might need and he had a nice little set-up now. Various members of the Pack had contributed blood, tissue, hair, and urine samples from both their human and Lycan forms so he could compare the two.

Raze and Anton were his biggest donors. Singe was more used to the beta Lycan now. Raze could still be intimidating, but he'd also proven to be quite intelligent and had even helped Singe by answering his questions when Anton or Lucian wasn't available. Lucian was unavailable much of the time, especially lately.

He had some sort of master plan to defeat the vampires and achieve peace and he was often gone for days, putting pieces into play for a plan that wouldn't be completed for over half-a-century. Singe was a part of that plan but he was unaware of most aspects of it besides what he was responsible for. His mission was to study the biological and chemical make-up of Lycans and vampires in order to either find a way to combine them or, at least, find a way to weaken the vampires and strengthen the Lycans.

Singe understood what it meant to be a Lycan much more intimately now, having suffered through his first Change just two weeks ago. Lucian and Anton had driven him an hour away into the woods around the town. The pain as the moonlight washed over him had made his reaction to the virus seem small. Nothing had ever hurt as much.

Unlike the virus exposure which was largely a blur, he remembered every agonizing moment of the Change as his body transformed. Muscle, bone, and skin had expanded, growing outward, twisting within him to become a new configuration. Lucian had been there, talking him through the whole horrific experience and he'd been grateful for the alpha's presence. Lucian had seen thousands of first Changes and he knew what to say to reassure the terrified scientist.

Afterwards, in Lycan form for the first time, Singe had marveled at the power he'd felt. He was on the small side for a Lycan but still far more powerful than any human he might encounter. His senses were even more acute than before. He howled in triumph as he finally understood what Raze and some of the other Lycans had told him about preferring their animal forms. Being a Lycan was man and animal combined, the intellect with the power coming together to form a perfect being.

He'd hunted with Anton, downing a deer with little effort and gorging himself on it's raw flesh. Lucian hadn't joined them, preferring to keep watch. Singe thought it strange but didn't bother to question his alpha. Near dawn, he'd changed back, which was still painful but less so. It would get easier every time.

Back in human form, Singe shuddered as the events of the night replayed themselves in his head. The pull of the beast was strong. He would never get any work done if he let that feeling of power and ferocity rule his life. So now, in addition to his biological studies, he was attempting to create a serum from wolfsbane that would block the Change completely. Only Lucian knew of it as some of the others, Raze especially, might see it as a betrayal of their true selves.

The night was half over when Singe heard the commotion outside. He opened the door to his lab and peered out. There was the smell of blood in the air and another scent that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. It smelled like death and decay. He made his way out to the common room, seeing only the two armory guards who were never supposed to leave their posts.

In the main room nearly the whole pack was there and the air was tense. In the center of the room was a small group of Lycans who had gone out on patrol earlier. There had been six who had gone out but only four had returned and all of them were injured. Singe could smell the stench of silver in their wounds. It made his stomach turn but it was the creature with them that he'd stared at the most. Held captive between two grim Lycans, unconscious and bound, was a young blond woman. Except that it wasn't a woman. Singe had never seen a vampire in person but he knew their smell from Lucian's memories and there was no doubt what this thing was.

"What is going on here?" Lucian emerged from the door to the underground tunnels followed by Raze. The alpha saw the vampire and stopped dead in his tracks. Raze let out a small growl of disgust at the sight of it. "What happened? Gregori?"

"Sir, we were on patrol on the northern edge of town. We saw the vampires just before they saw us and we attacked first. There were three of them. They killed Sergei and Kerwin before we killed them. We disposed of the other two and brought this one back for Singe so he could get some samples."

The tall, Russian-born Lycan who had headed the patrol answered his alpha promptly despite the wound in his leg that had to be painful. He wasn't the worst off either, as one of the others had been shot in the chest and was being supported by his pack mates.

"What were they doing here? Were there more?"

"I don't know. They parked a car outside the tavern and got out. They seemed surprised to see us. I don't think they knew we were here. We checked the area before we came back and didn't find any trace of other Bloods. I think it was just a random encounter, sir."

"Perhaps, but their disappearance will not go unnoticed. Raze, get everyone prepared to evacuate. The four of you, come with us and bring her." Lucian headed towards Singe, nodding at the biochemist to follow as the others fell into place behind them. Singe felt odd, knowing there was a vampire right behind him, even if it was unconscious.

They reached Singe's lab and the vampire was placed in the corner and chained to the pipes there. The Lycan with the chest wound was put on the cot. Singe started towards the vampire but Lucian stopped him.

"I want you to treat them first."

"I'm not a medical doctor. I don't know what to do for them."

"You're the closest thing we have to a physician and you're going to need to learn how to do this at some point. You've taken samples; you know how to wield a scalpel. Figure it out."

He had no choice but to agree. He examined the chest wound, wrinkling his nose a bit at the smell of silver that emanated from it. The Lycan was clearly in pain, drenched in sweat and muttering to himself in Russian as the poison addled his senses. Singe used forceps to fish around in the wound while Lucian and Gregori held the thrashing warrior down. At last, he found the bullet and extracted it carefully. It was still smoking as it came out of the wound and he dropped it in a bowl as the Lycan settled down a bit. With some rest, he would recover as his body healed from the silver exposure.

Singe treated the other three with more ease and soon they were all silver-free. This wasn't too difficult after all. He turned to the prisoner and froze when he found the vampire was awake and looking in Lucian's direction. The Blood's eyes were as luminescent blue as any Lycan which Singe found vaguely offensive. He didn't want to have anything in common with these creatures.

"I don't suppose you'd care to tell us your name and what you were doing here before we kill you?" Lucian regarded the vampire coolly but all he got in return was a glare. This Blood likely had no idea she was talking to Lucian, the infamous Lycan Alpha, long thought dead. But she knew who the leader was without a doubt as her attention was largely focused on the long-haired man. If she were loose, she'd take Lucian out first as the biggest threat but all the female Blood could do now was glare impotently.

"Suit yourself. Gregori, Antonio." The two Lycans grinned and seized the vampire. She struggled in their grasp, even baring her fangs as though trying to bite at them but chained and wounded as she was, she was no match for the two big Lycans. They held her upright against the wall in such a tight grip that she couldn't move an inch.

"Singe, take whatever samples you need." There was an odd tone in Lucian's voice as he stared at the captive vampire and Singe hastened to obey. It was quite intimidating to be up close to the Blood. The blue eyes turned to him, measuring him and finding him wanting. Singe didn't care about the opinion of this parasite. Only the Pack mattered now.

The scientist took great pleasure in taking his blood, flesh and hair samples from the captive. There was no before and after with vampires. They were able to hide their fangs and their eyes from humans but that was it. Carefully, he put the samples aside for future analysis. Finally the vampire spoke.

"So you mutts are pretending to be civilized enough to practice science? You lot can't understand anything except how to kill. We'll have peace when all of you beasts are gone."

"Perhaps, but you won't be alive to see it." Lucian nodded at Gregori and the Russian Lycan snapped the vampire's neck in a split second. Gregori and Antonio let the body drop to hang limply from the chains. The other Lycans went out, leaving Singe alone with his alpha.

"You've got samples for comparison now. I expect you'll be able to make quite a bit of progress now but you'll have to do it elsewhere. Take whatever you can. We're leaving." He still seemed odd, guarded somehow in a way Singe couldn't understand at the time. Now, in the present, he knew it was because the captive woman reminded Lucian of Sonja in some small way. Still, the alpha never hesitated to kill when it was necessary.

"Where will we go?" Singe asked, already planning how best to pack everything. Lucian actually smiled and looked almost relieved.

"Sanctuary."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Singe had nodded off in the back of the truck but a sudden hard turn jolted him awake. Michael was asleep also, with his head against the side of the truck and his arms wrapped around the bundled Selene. The young man had been through so much this past day that it was no wonder he was exhausted. When Singe had time, he wanted to take samples from Michael and Lucian to study the differences between the two hybrids. But that could wait.

He mulled over the memory of that first vampire. She had been nothing special. Singe had used close to a dozen captured vampires as lab subjects since then but that first one had been the key to everything. Singe had learned so much from those samples that had shaped the direction of his research. And what he had learned at Sanctuary had done so even more.

It was only a short time later that the truck rumbled to a stop. Lucian pulled back the curtain separating the front of the truck from the back. Selene flinched under the blankets but no light came through the windshield. Singe peered forward into the dark. He thought they were in a building but it was difficult to make out any details in the near blackness. The air smelled stale and old.

Lucian motioned the scientist to come forward. Outside, someone switched on a powerful flashlight and the beam played over thick concrete walls. Lucian climbed out of the truck and Singe followed. They appeared to be in a windowless bunker of some sort. All the trucks were parked in a garage but ahead was a bank of windows and as the light passed it, he could see computers and lab equipment.

"Where are we?" They'd been driving for about two hours so they couldn't be too far from Budapest. He didn't recognize this place at all but as he sniffed the air, he realized that there was a faint scent of vampires and immediately came on alert. It was an old, degraded scent but if the vampires had been here before, they could return.

"Selene's deserted vampire compound." Lucian was directing the others a bit, mainly with looks and gestures but he didn't need to do much. Every one of the soldiers was well trained. They established a perimeter, cradling rifles in their arms.

Selene and Michael emerged hesitantly from the back of the truck. Selene still had the blanket wrapped around herself, prepared to flip it over her head if need be. But this section of the compound was windowless and she had little to fear. Raze joined them, pointedly ignoring Selene which made Singe grin briefly. At least he wasn't the only one shunning her presence.

"Lead the way." Lucian gestured to Selene who nodded and then headed for the computer room at the far end. "Gregori, keep watch." The big Russian Lycan nodded and took up watch near the door of the room. He was one of the few Lycans who was still here from the time when Singe had joined the pack and ranked just below Raze in the Pack hierarchy.

Singe went along with Lucian's little group. There might be something of use in the lab. If nothing else, he'd like to see more of their scientific setup. Selene flipped the light on and Singe looked around. There were banks of computers along one wall as well as a small lab. The cabinets nearest him proved to be stocked with neat rows of chemicals. It was a far cry from the dark, dirty hole he'd set up in the sewers.

"What do these monitors show? Are they for exterior security only or can they connect to other safehouses?" Lucian was examining the computers which were powered down. One whole panel was set with six blank screens which Lucian was regarding with a thoughtful expression.

"All of the safehouses are linked and on motion detectors." Selene seemed wary. "Why do you want to know?"

"If Marcus knows about the safehouses, he may have taken refuge in one. Or if some of your former kindred escaped the fire, they may show up on these monitors. It would be interesting to see if there are any survivors who can tell us for sure what happened and what Marcus's motivations may be."

"I won't help you hunt down other vampires. I'll fight them if they attack us but I won't actively try to kill them." Selene's eyes flashed defiantly and there was a warning edge to her voice.

"I wouldn't ask such a thing of you. Actually, I'm proposing a truce. Marcus is a threat to all so it only makes sense that we should face him together."

There was utter stillness in the room. Lucian couldn't seriously believe that the vampires would go along with his idea, did he? Singe saw Raze's hands clench into fists and then relax. The beta wouldn't show his disgust at the idea so openly but Singe couldn't help himself.

"Lucian, the Bloods can't be trusted. Even if they agree to a truce, they would likely turn on us the minute it was convenient to them."

"If there are survivors and they agree to this, they will keep their word. I'll make sure they do." Selene gave him an irritated look, obviously not happy with his criticism of her kind.

"The question is moot if those safehouses are empty. I suggest we try the monitors first." Lucian seemed more amused by their verbal sparring than annoyed which was good for Singe. He knew there would be more times when he just couldn't go without expressing his opinion. It was one of the reasons Lucian relied on his judgment. Most members were too afraid of going against their Alpha to question or criticize his decisions but Singe was not. Even Raze didn't openly disagree with Lucian even when he hated his decisions as he clearly did with Selene.

Selene powered the computers up which took several minutes. Singe took the opportunity to check out several of the other cabinets. He found several useful compounds but left them where they were. He couldn't afford to be weighed down by extra supplies.

"They're on. Let me see what I can get." Selene typed in commands and the monitors flickered on. "I'm going to check and see if any are active."

They all crowded around to look. Six images appeared on the screen. In four of them, there were no movement but to everyone's surprise, two were inhabited. One showed a room much like this one and inside were four vampires, two males and two females. Three of them were probably Death Dealers judging from their attire and demeanor. The other female was blond and elegantly dressed. She was pacing back and forth with her arms wrapped around herself, obviously stressed.

One of the Death Dealers were slumped against the wall, either sleeping or injured, and the other two were loading weapons. They all looked as though they had been through hell. Gone was the usual arrogance and there was a distinct look of fear on their faces.

In the second monitor were two vampires, a male and a female, who were wearing fancy clothes and looked like they had gone through hell. Both of them huddled together against a back wall and looked to be in shock. The woman looked to have burns on her face and hands. She was ingesting blood but she'd need a lot of it to heal her wounds. Her male companion had his head on her shoulder and looked exhausted.

"Those are some of Kraven's people. They would be good in a fight but they're less trustworthy than Kahn's men. The woman is Erika, Kraven's little pet. She's useless unless you want to know what color dress goes best with your complexion. Same with those two. They'd be pretty much useless in a fight. I can contact the Death Dealers. They'd be the most useful if you want more soldiers but I doubt they'd agree to any kind of deal. They're more of the shoot-first, ask-questions-later types."

"We still have to try. Selene, my dear, would you be so kind as to call your former friends? We have a lot to talk about."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

This whole chapter is a flashback.

Northwestern Hungary,

June, 1952

Singe sat in the back seat of the car with Anton while Raze drove. Lucian sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window. He hadn't said a word since they'd driven out of town an hour ago. The rest of the Pack were in several large vans on their way to Sanctuary. It might arouse suspicion to have a convey of automobiles all heading in the same direction so some of the others had taken different routes.

Everyone in the car was subdued. The town had been quiet and peaceful and the Pack had been established in the warehouse for over a year. Now that location was lost to them. Once the vampires found a hiding place, there was no going back to it, even decades later. They couldn't risk being found. Anton had explained to Singe that Sanctuary wasn't just one place. There were several of them scattered all over Europe. That way if one of them were discovered, the others would still survive. The one they were headed to was the main one.

It really brought home to Singe that they were at war. He'd played in his lab while the others risked their lives with every patrol. It was disconcerting to think that not only was he part of a war that had been going on unseen for centuries, but his side was losing. The Bloods had contacts in many different countries. They had their own businesses, finances, and control over government officials in those countries while the Lycans were forced to hide in sewers and keep their heads down for fear of extermination.

It angered him to think that he and the others were mere animals in the eyes of the Bloods. If it were up to the vampires, all Lycans would be wiped out leaving them to reign supreme behind the scenes of human life. The only advantage the Lycans had was that they bred faster than vampires. From what Anton and Lucian had told him, most vampires didn't even bother to have children in the natural way anymore. They just bit humans they thought were worthy or desirable and hoped they'd survive the virus.

It had startled him the first time he'd learned that the majority of those who were bitten by either Bloods or Lycans didn't survive. It was sheer coincidence that he had survived Lucian's bite although he'd had nothing to lose by trying. But if he'd died, Lucian would have found some other scientist to help him. It was just a matter of how many he had to bite until one survived.

From the numbers he'd been given, he'd estimated that only 20-30 of those who were bitten survived the transformation. No one seemed to know why some made it and others didn't. He thought it an interesting puzzle that may hold the key to learning more about the biological makeup of both species. But as with many of the questions he'd asked since beginning his studies, he hadn't had time to pursue it yet.

They drove for most of the day, eating food brought along in the car rather than stopping at human restaurants and pausing only to stretch their legs and use the public bathrooms at rest stops. It was late afternoon when Raze turned down a gravel road that wound among tall trees. There was a gate blocking the road so Raze had to stop the car and open it before they could pass. Once through, he closed it again and then drove a short distance and emerged on the shore of a large lake.

Singe stared out the window at the cluster of buildings along the shore. It looked like a normal camp site with one large building surrounded on both sides by cabins. But his Lycan senses assessed the situation and found it sensible. The cabins had water on one side which provided a certain level of protection. It would be harder to approach from that direction without being seen. The cabins were in a clear space with no woods around them to provide cover. It looked like a relatively safe place.

Several of the other vans were already here and members of the Pack came out to meet them as they exited the car. Lucian looked as relaxed as he'd ever been. He stood for one moment, simply breathing the clean air and looking up at the sunlight before moving to meet the approaching Pack members.

There were a few men that Singe didn't know but there were also women as well, the first Lycan women he'd ever seen in person. They moved in the same predatory way the Lycan men did but there was more of a softness to their smiles and movements. One of them, a small, brunette woman who walked with a limp, nearly threw herself into Anton's arms. He laughed and whirled her around before setting her down.

"Singe, this is my mate, Gretal. Gretal, this is our new scientist." She came over and kissed his cheek and they exchanged pleasantries. Everyone headed towards the buildings. It was still light out so there was no threat from the vampires but caution was a long-established habit especially where Lucian was concerned. If the vampires ever discovered that he was still alive, they would throw every resource at their disposal towards wiping out the Lycans before he could rally them again.

They approached the main building and most of the Lycans sheared off, heading to the smaller cabins. This close, more members of the Pack were coming out to see Lucian and pay their respects. Singe saw a few children among the crowd and smiled despite himself. He'd never been fond of children but the wolf in him wanted to protect the cubs. They represented the future of the pack. Unless Lucian's plan succeeded, every man, woman and child here was in danger of being wiped off the face of the planet.

Anton whispered to Singe that he'd join them shortly and went off into the crowd with Gretal. Singe saw his friend scoop up two little boys, laughing and kissing the top of their heads. The blond Lycan had to give up so much to fight with Lucian. It was such a shame that he could only see his wife and children on occasion. Then Singe's attention was diverted to the woman who stepped out the door of the main building.

He had no doubt that this was Isadore, the alpha female. She radiated the same sense of authority that Lucian did. Isadore was about his height with olive skin, dark eyes, and long black hair pulled back in a braid. According to Anton, she was one of the few Lycans who could match Lucian for age although the centuries certainly didn't show on her calm face.

She walked towards Lucian, halted a foot away, and bowed her head. He acknowledged her with a nod. All of the others had fallen back so that only Raze and Singe still stood with Lucian. The beta bowed his head and she smiled and touched his shoulder. When she turned her gaze to Singe, the scientist bowed his head as well.

"Isadore, this is Singe, our new scientist. He'll need a quiet place to work on his research while we're here." There was a light touch on his shoulder and Singe raised his head again.

"Welcome, Singe. We were told you'd be coming and we already have a place set up for your work. I hope your stay here will be a fruitful one."

"Thank you. I too hope that my research will benefit our cause." She seemed amused by his sincerity. The four of them went inside. The main building looked like a lodge. The first floor consisted of one large open space with a few small offices along one wall. Upstairs were bedrooms and other private rooms.

Isadore led them to one such room which contained a large table and numerous chairs. It was apparently a conference room and there were references along the wall including books and a large map of Europe. There were small red pins inserted in various locations that showed the known bases of operations for the Bloods. Budapest was their main site but there were red pins in every country on the map.

Many were just small outposts, not full-fledged covens like Ordoghaz, but even a small outpost was a threat. The vampires had access to superior weaponry and technology. They patrolled vigilantly, always alert for signs of the Lycans. And more of the older vampires had survived the war than Lycans.

Most Lycans today were too young to remember the last big war, six hundred years ago where Lucian had faked his own death. They fought out of instinct and aggression, not personal vendettas like Lucian or Isadore. But many of the vampires remembered the war and were determined not to let it happen again. They would end the centuries-long conflict by killing an entire species and then had the nerve to claim that Lycans were the barbaric, savage ones.

There were no pins marking the location of the Sanctuaries. Lucian would never take the chance of letting such information fall into the wrong hands. No one knew the exact location of each site except Lucian, Isadore, and Raze. The lower-ranking Lycans only knew where they had been and even that was a security risk. Some Lycans had been known to kill themselves rather than be captured and tortured for information. It might be the only way for their wives and children to stay safe.

They took seats with Lucian at the head of the table and were soon joined by Anton, Gretal, and a blond female who was introduced to Singe as Pauline. Everyone in the room, except Singe himself were among the top-ranking Lycans of the Pack. It made him slightly nervous even though, by Lucian's word, he was of high rank himself. Lucian began things without preamble.

"Isadore, have you anything to report?"

"All has been quiet. There have been seven births since your last visit, all healthy.

Three males and four females. The underground fortifications are complete. Beatrice of the Romanian Sanctuary has asked me for permission to split her Pack in two and establish a second Sanctuary in the northern regions. She fears the large number of Lycans at the current site will increase the chances of detection."

"And what did you tell her?"

"I told her to send a detailed plan of where the new Pack would be and who would be sent there along with a plan for how to move half the pack there undetected. They arrived today but I have not had a chance to look them over."

"We'll do that together later. I understand Beatrice's fears but I'm reluctant to send Lycan women and children on such a long trip. Perhaps she can find a site that's closer to the current one but still far enough away to be separate. I'll have to think about that.

If there's nothing else, I'll keep this short. The plan is well on its way to success. All we have to do now is wait. In the meantime, Singe will further our aims with his studies. He is to be given any assistance he might need while he's here."

"Of course, may I ask what you've discovered so far?" Isadore asked Singe causing everyone to turn to him.

"I have not had a chance to analyze the vampire sample I took from the captive but the Lycan samples have been quite...informative." He debated how much to tell them. While Lucian was quite intelligent, he didn't understand all of Singe's discoveries and he had no reason to believe the rest of them would either. So he decided to tell them in as simple terms as possible.

"The virus that causes one to become a Lycan alters the DNA in ways I don't fully understand yet. I know it causes a boost in the adrenal gland as well as hormone levels over all. The cells that regulate hair and muscle growth are stimulated during the Change and the normal adrenaline output is tripled. Similarly, the bone marrow produces a much higher quantity of white blood cells which deal with infection and during the Change, the body is flooded with chemicals, some of which I've never seen before. I still have much to do to understand how it happens."

"I think you will likely find similarities in the vampire samples. After all, we are all descendants of the Sons of Corvinus."

"What? I didn't think you really believed that old fairytale, Isadore." Lucian scoffed and most of the rest looked skeptical but Singe was confused.

"I do not understand. Who are the Sons of Corvinus?"

"You never told him about the legend, Lucian? Even if it is a fairy tale, there may be a clue in it that would help Singe to tailor his line of research towards a more rewarding end." Lucian looked unconvinced but he nodded.

"Very well, if you think it will help." Singe listened intently as Isadore related the story of the Baron Corvinus who had survived a plague and achieved immortality. He had three sons, two of whom became the first Lycan and the first Blood when bitten by a wolf and bat respectively. The third son had been mortal and had lived out a normal life, marrying and fathering many children.

He could see why Lucian considered it a fairytale but the scientist in him was considering the implications. If the vampire samples showed similarities to the Lycan ones, it might give some credence to the idea of the story. A common ancestor would explain some of the similarities, such as the glowing blue eyes and their accelerated healing and metabolisms. Besides, what were the odds that two such unique species would arise separately of each other?

The meeting was short as there was not much news to discuss. When it broke up, Lucian and Raze went off to get some well-needed rest. Anton, Gretal, and Pauline left as well. Anton obviously wanted to be with his wife, who he rarely saw, so Isadore had offered to give Singe a tour of the place.

No one could say how long they would be here although Anton had mentioned that they probably wouldn't stay more than a month. It was essential for Singe to learn as much as he could while he was here. She led him outside, pointing out various landmarks as they walked slowly around the camp. It looked like any small village as children played and women chatted over laundry or chores but it was getting dark now and the tension level was going up just a bit.

"Most of the camp is underground for defense. There are two tunnels leading in different directions out into the hills. Every building has a link to those tunnels which can be closed off to slow down intruders at various points. We are all taught how to fight and shoot from a young age but if the Bloods ever find us, some will stay and fight while the rest of us flee. They would slaughter every one of us in their hatred if they could." The alpha female spat the word "Bloods" out as a curse and briefly bared sharp teeth in disgust.

"We plant crops in order to blend in with the human population and then sell them at local markets. There is good hunting in the woods but we have to be careful not to take too much and draw attention to ourselves. Often, we have to get by largely on fish from the lake." Singe wrinkled his nose briefly at that. Fish were meat and therefore edible to a Lycan but their flesh hardly compared to mammals or birds.

It was a poor substitute and he disliked the idea of relying on it for a staple. Plus, it would take a large amount of fish to sustain the population of Sanctuary. He estimated the population at around a hundred and fifty. According to Anton, if it got much bigger, they would have to consider moving some of the population elsewhere. The more Lycans in one place, the better the odds of being discovered and Lucian preferred that the population of any given Sanctuary not go over two hundred.

"We also keep chickens, ducks, and geese but most larger farm animals react nervously to our scent and are too much trouble to keep here. Sometimes we trade the produce for beef, mutton, or pork. We have been here for over a century and the Bloods have never found us. We're too careful for them but it is hard on all of us to have to live like criminals, always one wrong word away from discovery."

He understood what she meant. During the war, everyone had been so secretive, afraid of the secret police and the camps that troublemakers were sent to, never to be seen again. People couldn't trust their neighbors or friends, or even sometimes family. He thought he'd left that sort of situation behind but now he was right back in the thick of it.

After a tour of the grounds, she led him back into the lodge and showed him the layout. Just as in the warehouse, there were private rooms for the high-ranking Lycans as well as an armory and bathrooms.

One of the rooms on the first floor proved to be a library. There were books in a wide variety of languages. Many of them were conventional and contemporary but there were a few that smelled of dust and age. Singe was drawn to the older books, examining the titles for anything interesting. Some were in languages he didn't know but he found one in German and carefully slid it off the shelf for a closer look.

"Lucian has a tendency to scoff at the past unless it involves his memories of Sonja. His mind is only on the future and the success of his plan these days. It is unfortunate for one as old as him to ignore where he came from especially since the two of us are almost the only ones who remember what it was like to be a slave of the Bloods." Isadore sounded almost wistful as she said the alpha's name and Singe glanced at her but her face was blank. Did she perhaps have feelings for Lucian? Singe couldn't be sure but he thought it possible from her tone.

"Did the Bloods ever talk about their origins? Where they and the Lycans came from? Any thing you can remember would be a help to me."

"The vampires certainly didn't speculate about that sort of thing in front of slaves. The only information I ever heard was the story of the Sons of Corvinus and that was treated as a fairy tale by most. I think the Elders knew more about it though. I do remember one odd incident I heard about from a fellow slave.

There was a Blood beating one of the Lycans for some mistake or other. He was hitting the chained slave with a silver rod while all the poor Lycan could do was scream and beg for mercy . The Blood made seem sneering remark to the slave about how if the Lycans were descended from a Son of Corvinus, he must have been a particularly weak and pathetic son. Lord Marcus happened to be walking nearby. He walked over, grabbed the vampire, and ripped his head off without saying a word. Then he just turned and walked away while everyone in the room stared in shock.

I don't know if that's significant. Marcus was never any kinder to us than any of the others. But it struck me as odd that he would react so violently to the vampire's words. Some said he was the eldest of the three Elders but Viktor was the one in charge."

"If this Marcus is really the eldest, could he have been the one bitten by the bat in the story?" Singe was intrigued. Could the original vampire still exist and if so, how much could be learned from his blood? Not that Singe ever expected to get a sample from one of the vampire Elders but it was an intriguing thought. Also, what had happened to the original Lycan and to Alexander Corvinus himself? Were they dead or merely in hiding?

"I suppose it's possible but it does seem a silly story when you think about it. It's just the only attempt at an explanation that I've ever heard. But let me show you to your lab so you can get started. The books will still be here tomorrow."

Reluctantly, he put the tome back and followed her to a back room where his lab equipment had been set up. The room was smaller than the back at the warehouse but there was a separate bedroom and bathroom right next door for his use.

"If there's anything you need, please just ask. Would you prefer to take your meals in your room or in the common room?"

"Here, please. Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome. It's my pleasure to help your project in any way I can. It holds a lot of promise for defeating the Bloods. Good night, Singe."

He bowed his head briefly to the alpha female as she took her leave and then turned his attention to his samples. The samples from the vampire had been packed into a small cooler filled with ice. He removed them and started his analysis.

First he tried combining a drop of the vampire's blood with a blood sample from Raze. Under the microscope, he watched in fascination as the viral agents destroyed each other in a frenzy of mindless rage much as the two species did on a larger scale. Combining the two directly was obviously not the solution and he briefly wondered how Sonja had ever become pregnant with Lucian's child. Perhaps the virus was stronger in the bloodstream than in other bodily fluids. Next time he had a vampire captive to work with, he resolved to take more extensive samples.

The tests took most of the night but as more and more results were revealed, he became too excited to sleep. There were significant similarities between the vampire's DNA and those from his fellow Lycans. To be sure, there were also significant differences but if he were comparing samples to find whether two people were related, he would consider these to be conclusive. Lycans and Bloods were related and had most likely sprung from a common source.

With these test results, Isadore's fairytale took on a new dimension. Perhaps some parts of the story were embellished or exaggerated but it was likely as close to the truth as he could get without quizzing Marcus himself. The thought of facing an Elder vampire made him shudder. He was no match for even one of the regular vampires let alone an Elder. Science was his area of expertise, not combat.

His mind kept returning to the idea of the third Corvinus son, the mortal one. What sort of potential might be hidden within the genetic structure of his descendants? Could that be the key to creating a hybrid between the species? Even if it was, how could they possibly hope to find any of those descendants? Genealogical records from so long ago would be nearly impossible to find if they even existed. Still, it was a place to start.

If the story could be believed, Alexander Corvinus's mutation had been passed on to his sons. Their unique genetic structure had mutated further when exposed to animal DNA to create what were essentially immortal animal/human hybrids.

The blood of Lycans and Bloods destroyed each other on a cellular level. The only way to make a hybrid would be to find a bridge that could join both types to create a unique being. It was possible that a descendant of Corvinus had a latent blueprint of that original mutation present in their own DNA. If the original could create a hybrid between animals and humans, then it might allow a link between the two hybrids. Theoretically, it should work.

If Lucian agreed, they could begin searching as soon as possible. It would likely take time to find any records, if they even existed, but there was still over fifty years before the plan was supposed to come to fruition. Maybe, with luck, Singe would be able to find the right donor and create a hybrid in time. Then the Bloods wouldn't stand a chance.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Selene looked dubious over the possibility of a truce but she sat down in the chair and called the number for the safe house anyway.

When the phone rang, the three standing vampires all jumped and the male Death Dealer actually pointed his gun in that direction before realizing what it was. The vampire lying against the wall stirred a little but didn't open his eyes otherwise. It was actually Erika who brushed past them and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Her voice, cautious but happy, came over the speaker. Selene grimaced in distaste and switched the phone over to speaker so the rest of them could follow her conversation.

"This is Selene. Can you put Josef or Diana on the phone? It's important."

"Selene? How dare you call here! I can't believe I ever bothered to help you out. I'll..." Diana wrenched the phone out of Erika's hand and gave the blond a little push out of the way.

"Selene? What do you want?"

"I saw what happened to Ordoghaz. Marcus burned it to the ground. All of us are in danger. I'm with Lucian and he's proposed a truce. If you're willing, we can meet up after sundown."

"We saw the news too but how did you know it was Marcus? And why should we deal with that mutt? Kraven's deals with him led to all of this. He, and all his savage kind, are to blame."

"On the contrary, the plan would have worked fine if Kraven had not turned traitor. We would be well on our way to peace between our two species. You must have had some faith in the plan. After all, you went along with it all these years." Diana was silent for a moment as Lucian's words came over the phone.

"You really didn't know, did you? This was never about peace. Kraven and the rest of us went along with your plans because we wanted to get rid of the Elders and their control. After they were gone, we were going to hunt every last one of you animals down and kill you. Kraven would never have shared power with the likes of you. None of us would."

Lucian looked as though someone had hit him full force. Singe let out a shaky breath. He'd been afraid of this ever since he found out about the full extant of the plan and met Kraven for the first time. The Bloods couldn't be trusted. He always thought they would turn on the Lycans given half the chance. But it was not his place to suggest such a thing to his alpha. Besides, if there was even a chance it would work, a chance that the Lycans could live in peace, they had to take it.

"Well, look where your plans got you now." Selene ignored Lucian's shocked face and addressed her fellow vampires with contempt. "You're hiding in a tiny room with no back-up and nowhere to go. If you want to strike out on your own, go ahead and do so. But rest assured, I'll make sure the other covens are aware of the situation with Marcus, including your roles in the whole affair. No one will give you shelter or a helping hand. You'll be outcasts at best, targets at worst. Is that what you want?"

"Are you in a better position? You're hiding with a pack of Lycans when two days ago you would have happily slaughtered them all. How the mighty Selene has fallen. We'll take our chances with the others. Oh, and if you do contact the other covens, will you tell them how you had a hand in Victor's death or how you raised him early against all the rules? I'm sure they'll be eager to help you after hearing that."

"Fine, be a fool. Just stay out of my way because I'm going to do whatever it takes to bring about the peace you and Kraven threw away so casually. I hope you're proud of yourself." Selene hung the phone up with a little snarl. Raze actually looked impressed.

The phone rang on their side and they glanced at the monitor. Surprisingly it was Erika. Selene hesitated and then answered it.

"Selene? Look, I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier. They told me Kraven was dead and I was upset. I don't want to stay here with them and they don't want me along anyway. Can I go with you? I promise I won't be a burden."

Diana sneered and rolled her eyes on screen over the blonde's desperation. Selene looked at Lucian with a raised eyebrow and he nodded. She looked unconvinced but accepted his answer.

"Lucian says you can accompany us when we leave but this had better not be a trick or I'll kill you myself."

"I understand. Just tell me where to meet you and I'll leave as soon as it's dark." Selene muted the phone and had a brief, whispered exchange with Lucian before getting back on the phone.

"Lucian says if you go Varosliget and wait by the zoo entrance, we'll pick you up there." Erika agreed and Selene hung up the phone.

"Why do you want her along? She'll be useless in a fight."

"There's always cannon fodder." Lucian grinned at Selene's hard stare. He seemed to have recovered from the shock of hearing that his peace plans had been doomed from the start. "But the more vampires I can get on my side, the better my chances of achieving a real peace. Diana and her companions may not be interested but some will be. It will have to be enough."

"You still think this will work? You still think there's a chance for peace between us?" Selene sounded as skeptical as Singe felt.

"You're here, aren't you? If someone with your reputation can learn to accept Lycans then there's hope for the rest. It will just take time."

"Lucian, we may not have time. Marcus is still out there. We shouldn't waste time picking up strays." Raze's voice was flat with no challenge in it but it was rare for the beta to contradict his alpha in any way. Lucian stared at him for a long time as though trying to assess his intentions before answering.

"We're going to make time, Raze. We're still at war here and every soldier on our side, whether they are Lycan or Blood, is an asset. I won't accept defeat, not now."

"Erika's not a soldier. Neither are those two." Selene indicated the two vampires on the other screen. "They'll just slow us down."

"All Bloods are taught how to use weapons. They may not have a talent for shooting but they know how to use a gun and even if they don't, they're still immortals with superstrength and speed. The Pack looks out for its own and as of right now, I consider anyone who's willing to help me an asset and part of the Pack by extension."

Everyone in the room stared at him in shock. Was he actually suggesting that the vampires were part of the Pack by default unless they proved otherwise? The very thought made Singe ill. He had always assumed that if Lucian's plan came to pass, the Lycans and Bloods would remain apart and the only thing that would change would be the constant killings.

There might be the occasional meetings between the two groups but other then that, they would go their separate ways. But this defied all logic. There was no way that everyone in the Pack would accept having Bloods integrated into their society. It would make them too vulnerable. One or two like Selene perhaps, but all of them? And the Bloods would never accept it either. It was madness.

"Talk to those two as well, Selene. Ask them if they want our help."

"Fine." She called the second safe house. Both vampires flinched when the phone rang but the man unwound himself from the woman and limped heavily to the phone.

"Hello, Stefano. This is Selene. I'm at one of the safe houses with some...friends and we're trying to contact survivors of the attack. How are you and Elisabet? Can you tell me what happened?"

"Selene?" Stefano was obviously confused. He blinked several times and seemed to be making an effort to reply. "I don't know. Everything happened so fast. Lord Marcus went insane and attacked the coven but he wasn't himself. He looked like a monster with wings and claws. Elisabet and I only escaped because we were right by the window. We threw ourselves through and ran but I don't know who else made it. There was so much screaming..."

"It's okay. It's over now. Do you want to travel with us or can you make your own way to safety?"

"Who's with you? Is Lord Viktor there? Last we heard, you had gone with him to track down some Lycans. Viktor can stop Marcus. I know he can." There was a look of worship on Stefano's face.

She paid so little attention to the "civilian" vampires that she'd forgotten how much some of them viewed the Elders. To younger and weaker vampires, the Elders seemed almost like gods. Stefano was only a century old, a mere child compared to Selene let alone Viktor. He would not react well to the news that all the Elders were dead or deranged.

"I'm sorry, Stefano. Viktor is dead as is Amelia. I'm with the Lycans. They want peace and they want to stop Marcus as much as you. Will you accept our help?"

Stefano dropped the phone with a stunned expression and backed away as though her words were poison. For a moment, she thought he was going to faint. Instead, his face went livid and he began screaming curses in his native tongue. She knew enough Italian to pick out the words for "traitor," "bitch, and "evil," but the rest was lost on her.

"I'd say that's a 'no.'" Lucian shook his head as Selene hung up the phone. It was obvious they weren't going to listen to reason. On the screen, Stefano had stopped his rant and crawled back into the corner with Elisabet. Selene looked frustrated but there was nothing she could do to change the civilian vampire's view on Lycans.

"What do we do now?" Michael asked. He was still so new to all of this. It made Singe feel old but then again, he'd dealt with war for far longer than Michael had been alive. To the American, this must seem like a nightmare that he couldn't wake up from. Not only was he still adjusting to the idea that vampires and werewolves were real and that he was a hybrid of them, but he'd been thrust into the midst of a war that had raged for centuries. It would have been daunting for anyone.

"We'll rest here for now and we'll move out before it gets dark. After we pick up Erika, I need to visit an old friend. We'll decide what to do after consulting with him."

"And who might this friend be? Some sort of Lycan prophet?"

"He's neither. In fact, you've met him before." Lucian was grinning now, obviously finding amusement in her annoyed expression. She obviously wanted to ask him who he was referring to when movement on the monitor caught their attention.

"My God!" Michael was the first to react to the sight of Marcus striding into an empty safe house in full hybrid form. They crowded around the monitor, staring at the image. Selene typed something in to the computer and suddenly that image was the only one left and filled the screen.

Marcus looked like a horrific hybrid of a bat and a human. Leathery wings tipped with sharp talons were folded neatly behind his back. His fangs were huge in a face distorted by the short muzzle. His skin looked white and leathery as well. His hands and feet sported claws that would make any Lycan proud. Singe felt a surge of awe beneath the fear. His blood had done this to the eldest vampire. It was fascinating in so many ways.

Marcus took all of the blood from the small fridge and drained each bag in swift succession. He gulped it frantically, spilling some of it in his eagerness so that he ended up soaked in it. It seemed an appropriate look for him.

When he was done with the last one, he gave a little shudder and his features shifted back to human. It wasn't a gradual shift as a Lycan would do. The effect was more of an instantaneous transformation. In human, or rather vampire form, he had long, curly, reddish hair and a goatee.

Singe had never seen Marcus before in any form. He didn't play any part in Lucian's memory but the scientist wondered how much the vampire resembled his father. If he ever met Alexander Corvinus, would the immortal father of both the Lycans and the Bloods, look like an older version of the man on the screen now?

"What's he doing?" Michael whispered as though the hybrid Elder might hear him.

"The stress of the shift is likely causing him to feel extremely hungry. Did you and Lucian feel like that after becoming hybrids?"

Lucian said, "Yes," even as Michael said, "No." They looked at each other in surprise and then shrugged it off. Singe found their answers insightful.

"What does that mean?" Selene said impatiently. Maybe she didn't like the fact that her boyfriend was getting along with the Lycans or maybe she was just irritated by the scientific implications going right over her head. Either way, Singe took a childish delight in explaining it to her as simply as possible.

"Marcus is the Eldest of vampires. The stress of becoming a hybrid after so many centuries of being a vampire might mean he needs more blood to recover. Likewise, Lucian having been a Lycan for so long would react in a similar way. But Michael wasn't a Lycan long enough for it to have fully taken root before he became a hybrid. I would guess that he is the most fully balanced between the two species while Lucian and Marcus favor their original species."

"Well, we know now that he can withstand sunlight. He never would have made it to that safe house otherwise." Lucian was watching the screen thoughtfully, planning his next move. The Lycan alpha had survived all these years by being two steps ahead of the vampires at all times. His intellect was formidable and Singe was sure he was already formulating a plan. But what could be done against such a dangerous and unpredictable creature?

"Should we try to contact him? Maybe he can be reasoned with?" They all turned to look at Michael with identical looks of disbelief, even Selene. He put his hands up in a placating manner.

"Look, I don't know. It just seems like it might be worth it to come up with a peaceful solution. The whole plan was supposed to be about establishing peace between Lycans and vampires, right? So how is peace going to happen if your first instinct is to kill rather than talk?"

It was the longest thing he'd said to any of them, except Selene. And there was a hint of anger in his voice as well. Singe was pleased. Maybe the boy would be able to hold his own, after all. Selene actually looked annoyed. How well did she even know her lover? Perhaps she'd only been attracted to a pretty face and had little idea of the man behind it.

"Marcus isn't a scared civilian or a jaded Death Dealer. He's always been insane and now he's an insane monster. If he finds out where we are, he'll likely kill all of us without a second thought. Trust me Michael, I've known him for centuries. Talking is not what he's interested in anymore."

"It's not a bad thought though. I don't fancy being hunted again, always wondering whether Marcus is after us. Perhaps we should try to contact him." Now everyone other than Michael turned their heads to stare at Lucian as if he were crazy. He couldn't be serious, could he? Singe's heart sank as he saw the look on Lucian's face. The alpha was serious.

"We need to know his plans and the only way to find out is to ask him. Is there a way to block the safe house signal so that he can't figure out where we're calling from?"

"I doubt he even knows how to use the technology. He's been asleep for two centuries and Singe's memories probably didn't give him enough information to use the computers. But I can block it temporarily." Selene looked more accepting of the plan as she began tapping codes into the keyboard. Any information they could get from Marcus would be beneficial.

"Okay, the signal from this safe house will be off for the next half-hour. The system updates itself on the hour and it will kick the signal back on once it senses us. I'll make the call."

"Good, try not to give too much away. The less he knows, the better." Selene nodded and dialed the insane hybrid. This was going to be an interesting conversation, Singe thought. He just hoped it wouldn't backfire on them.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Varosliget is the largest park in Budapest and contains various attractions including the Budapest Zoo.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The whole safehouse was tense as Selene dialed Marcus. Singe still couldn't believe they were going through with this although his scientific curiosity made him wonder what Marcus might say. But the last thing they should be doing was drawing attention to themselves.

The phone rang on Marcus's end and he stopped his search for more blood and stared at it. Telephones hadn't existed the last time he'd been awake and Singe's memories were probably so jumbled that they would do him little good. Still, after a moment of intense scrutiny, he walked over and picked up the receiver.

"Lord Marcus? This is Selene. I want to ask why you've killed the coven." Selene's voice was calm but the Lycans could smell that she was nervous. Michael took her free hand in his and that small gesture seemed to settle her.

"Selene? Viktor's little fake daughter? Ah, but you know the truth now, don't you my dear? Several of the coven members I drained at Ordoghaz were at the battle where you helped to kill Viktor. I should thank you for that. It saved me the trouble of doing it myself."

"I didn't kill Viktor but yes, I know the truth now. But why did you kill the others?" They all exchanged looks of unease. If Marcus had taken the blood memories of some of those who had survived the battle in the tunnels, then he knew a lot more then they'd thought about the conspiracy with Kraven and the plan to kill off the Elders, including him.

"They deserved it. All these years, it should have been me in charge. I created Viktor and Amelia and they turned on me. All those at Ordoghaz were corrupt and weak. But tell me, there wouldn't happen to be Lycans with you? Perhaps even Lucian and his little pet scientist?"

They all stared at each other in shock. How could he possibly know that? Selene had cut the visual feed to this safehouse and anyway, Marcus wasn't even looking at the monitors in front of him. It was a good thing that he didn't seem to care about Viktor's death but she had no idea what he wanted and unknowns were always the biggest hazards in a battle.

"Why do you want to know?" Selene was cautious. She glanced at Lucian for guidance but his face was an unreadable mask as he stared at the vampire Elder in the screen.

"If they're there, I have a proposal. I have no interest in the rest of the coven. I just have three simple requests."

"I'm here, Marcus. What is it you want?" Lucian was obviously intrigued by Marcus's words.

"Ah, so good to hear from you Lucian. I never got a chance to say this but I always regretted what Viktor did to Sonja. He always insisted on ruling with an iron fist and it cost him dearly. A more compassionate man would have forgiven his daughter but Viktor was never one to show mercy. If it were up to me, Sonja would still be alive. It's too bad I had no say in her fate."

"You had a say. You were the Eldest. You should have made them listen to you instead of letting them walk all over you." Lucian had gone rigid at the idea that Marcus could have saved Sonja if he really wanted to. Even after all these centuries, the pain was still there. His eyes had gone black and his fingers were much more claw-like. Raze and Singe were instinctively ducking their heads in the face of their alpha's anger even though it wasn't directed at them.

"I had no choice. I was essentially a hostage to their rules. I had my reasons but I'd prefer not to discuss them over this device. My preference is to meet in person."

"You expect me to agree to that? Why should I risk my people's lives by meeting with you? For all I know, this is a ploy to slaughter us all as you did the vampires."

"I have no interest in further slaughter. I want peace as you do. I've been at war longer than you've been alive both with the Lycans and my own people. I want it to stop and I need your help to do so which brings me to my requests. I want your pendent, Selene, and your scientist. Bring me them and I promise I won't hurt any of your people."

There was silence in the room. Singe's heart beat faster and he couldn't stop the sudden rush of fear. Lucian wouldn't hand him over to Marcus. He valued loyalty and Singe had always been loyal. And what could Marcus want with him anyway? Or Selene and the pendent either? Lucian's hand touched the gold medallion almost casually, running his hand along the familiar contours before answering.

"What do you want with them?"

"I'd rather not say but I mean them no harm. Viktor and Amelia may be dead but there are still those among the covens who would kill me for what I plan to do."

"And if I refuse?" Marcus grinned on the monitor, baring teeth much longer and sharper than a normal vampires. There was madness in his eyes and the thought of being in his presence made Singe shudder again. Whatever he wanted, it couldn't be good.

"Then I'll have to hunt you down and take what I need, while killing everything that gets in my way. It's not what I'd prefer but I'll do whatever is necessary to achieve my goals. It's up to you, Lucian. Do you truly desire peace or was this whole plan just a way for you to gain more power?"

"You'll have to explain what you want them for first. And I'm not handing any of my people over to you. They stay with me. If you're willing to meet with us and talk about the situation, we can arrange it but I'm not inclined to trust you at this point."

"Then we have nothing more to discuss." Marcus moved to hang up the phone.

"Wait! Give us time to talk about this. Maybe we can come to some sort of agreement." Selene ignored Lucian's angry look at the interruption and appealed directly to Marcus.

"I'm surprised to hear reason from you, Selene. You always were one of the most ruthless of Viktor's followers and here you are among the Lycans, begging for peace. Perhaps that boy you've fallen in love with has tamed your bloodlust. Very well. Talk among yourselves and call me back but make it quick. I am not a patient man, as you well know." He did hang up the phone then, leaving only silence in the room.

"What was that about?" Michael was as confused as ever but right now the rest of them were as baffled as the young hybrid. "What does Marcus want with you and Singe?"

"I don't know but I could find out."

"Is that your plan? Are you volunteering to meet with him?" Lucian still sounded annoyed but it wasn't directed at Selene. Marcus's smug attitude had riled him the wrong way.

"Yes. I don't think he wants to kill me or Singe. If I agree to meet with him, maybe I can figure out what he wants. An odder question is why does he want your pendant? What's so special about it?"

"It was Sonja's. That makes it special to me but I can't imagine why he wants it." The alpha picked it up and regarded the gold disc thoughtfully. "Either he just wants to make me suffer or there's more to this than I know."

"Where did Sonja get it? Was it special made or did she buy it somewhere?"

"It was a gift from her father."

"Viktor?" She sounded as puzzled as the rest of them. "I don't understand any of this. Would you let me look at it?"

There was a brief hesitation on Lucian's part and then he slipped the chain off his neck and handed it to her. Singe had never seen him without it and his mind flashed back briefly to the disturbing dream he'd had at Ordoghaz where Lucian was dead and the pendent was gone but then he pushed the thought away. Selene turned the gold disc over in her hands, examining every inch of it with an odd expression.

"Strange. This seems somehow familiar. I could almost swear that I've held this before."

"That's impossible. I took it from around Sonja's neck before you were ever made a vampire. Perhaps you remember something similar to it?"

"I don't know but I feel like I should know. I think I've held this before." Lucian held his hand out and reluctantly, Selene handed it back. She could feel some memory trying to emerge like some long-ago dream but it wouldn't come into focus.

"Regardless of why he asked for it, I won't let Marcus have it without a good explanation. You can call him back and arrange a meeting. We need answers."

"And you're willing to let Selene risk her life for those answers?" All of them looked at Michael with the same startled expression. There was anger in his voice and his posture was challenging although he probably didn't realize it. Raze growled low but Lucian remained calm.

"She volunteered and as she said, I don't think he wants her or Singe dead. He needs both of them and the pendent and he knows he won't get them through violence. I can't bring about peace if I don't take some chances. If you're truly worried, feel free to accompany her."

"No, Michael stays here. It's too dangerous."

"Shouldn't I have a say in this?" Michael didn't look happy with Selene's attempts to protect him.

"Michael, you're still new to all of this. Even I don't have much of a chance against Marcus if he really wants to kill me and I've been a Death Dealer for centuries. I'd feel better if I knew you were safe."

The boy's expression actually lightened at her concern and then turned to something different as Selene punctuated her statement by getting up and kissing him. His arms went around her and Lucian looked away from their intimate moment politely. Singe grimaced at the sight.

Was Michael so easily manipulated? Selene was concerned for him but she was also making sure he was distracted enough not to argue with her. If he really loved her, he shouldn't have given up that easily.

"As much as I hate to break up your tender moment, I think it would be wise to call Marcus back and give him an answer. He looks quite impatient." Indeed, as Lucian had said, Marcus was pacing back and forth and glaring at the phone.

"You're agreeable to my arranging a meeting with him?"

At Lucian's nod, she dialed the safehouse. Singe approved of his alpha's decision. The vampire was expendable. If Marcus did want her dead for some reason, then at least it wasn't one of his fellow Lycans dead. Of course, the thought that Marcus wanted him as well played a role but above all a Lycan's loyalty was to the Pack.

He listened with the rest as Selene arranged to meet with Marcus at midnight in the woods behind the remains of Ordoghaz. They would pick up Erika at Varosliget and then Selene would leave to meet with Marcus, wearing surveillance equipment so they could listen in. If she survived, she would meet back up with them and they would proceed to Lucian's proposed expert.

Despite his dislike of the vampire, he hoped she would survive the encounter. Not only because she was helping them obtain valuable information but because if Marcus killed her, it might mean he wanted Singe dead as well. And it also might mean that he'd been lying when he said he wanted peace. If Selene made it back unscathed, it would be a good sign of Marcus's intentions.

Nightfall wouldn't be for hours. As galling as it was to all of them, they would have to wait here until then. The guards decided to sleep in shifts. Lucian took Raze off to a back room for a private discussion. Singe didn't care, he didn't expect to be a part of every discussion, but it left him alone with Michael and Selene.

The three of them sat in silence for a while. The compound wasn't large enough for him to move very far away from them so he had to content himself with ignoring them. For their part, they sat talking in low tones and ignored him back.

He heard enough words to realize that Michael was asking questions about the history of vampires and Lycans and then dismissed their conversation from his mind. To pass the time, he took out his research journal and began writing down what little he'd observed of the hybrids.

It didn't take long as there wasn't much. He knew the hybrids no longer had their former weaknesses to silver or sunlight. He didn't know if they were stronger and faster than Lycans or Bloods but thought it likely. Both Marcus and Lucian seemed to change form much easier than before. When Lucian had shown Singe his hybrid form, he had seemed to change in mere seconds without even the effort it would take Raze. And Marcus had changed very swiftly on the camera as well.

Anything more would have to wait until he could take some samples and find a space to set up his equipment for several days. It didn't look like that was going to be possible for quite a while under their current circumstances. He'd just have to wait. Singe put his notebook away and thought about getting some sleep.

"Excuse me? Singe? Could I ask you a few questions?" He turned his head to look at Michael who was looking at him hesitantly. Selene was expressionless beside him.

"What do you want to know?"

"How did you find the descendants of Corvinus? What made me different from the rest of them? I'm just wondering how I ended up being so damned important."

Singe suppressed a wince. That could be a delicate subject if Michael found out what had happened to some of the other test subjects. But he could try to skirt around that and simply talk about the past.

"Corvinus was a noble. There are some genealogical records available for his family line. There were also baptismal records for each of his grandchildren. The third son, Thomas, was very religious even though his father wasn't and made sure his children were brought up in the church.

He and his wife had fourteen children, all of whom survived to adulthood. That was almost unheard of back then. Apparently, though Thomas didn't inherit his father's immortality, he did inherit something that made him and his offspring very healthy. Thomas himself lived to be ninety-eight years of age, also extremely unusual in those days."

"So Thomas was mortal but he got a watered-down version of the mutation? If he had been bitten by an animal like his brothers, would he have become like them?"

"I don't know. It's possible that he could have become some third species of immortal, if he'd been bitten but he also may have had a different genetic pattern. The original Lycan and Blood were twins, William and Marcus Corvinus. The records don't say whether they were identical or fraternal twins but either way, their reactions may have been different than his."

"What happened to William? Is he still alive?"

"We don't know. Lucian had never heard of him until we began researching the Corvinus line. Most likely, he's dead but there's no record of him past a certain date."

"How do you know about all of this? I've never heard any of it before." Selene looked annoyed that the Lycans knew more about the origins of her own species then she did. Singe wasn't going to enlighten her.

"We have our sources."

Michael looked thoughtful as he considered what Singe was saying. This was his family history too even though he'd never heard of it before.

"So after you found out about Thomas's children, you followed their lines? That must have been hard. They didn't keep very good records back then."

"Yes, it took quite a while and there were many different lines but there were enough birth and death records for us to follow the genetic lines of some of the children."

"And then what?"

"Excuse me?" Selene wore a faint smile as Singe tried to pretend he didn't understand Michael's question. It was just like the vampire to try and make him look bad in the young man's eyes.

"Once you found the descendants, what happened? Did you kidnap them like you did with me?" Michael's voice actually had a slight growl to it and the scientist found himself reacting as if to an alpha wolf. He cringed, drawing his thin shoulders back and instinctively tried to look submissive. Michael was radiating power like an alpha Lycan, probably without even knowing it.

"We...no. At first, we found other ways to get the blood samples. We'd drug them and then just take it. It was only later when we began kidnapping people. Time was running out and we needed to find someone with the right genetic code."

"And those that failed? What did you do with them?"

Singe hesitated as he tried to decide the best way of phrasing his answer. He felt sure that Selene had somehow put Michael up to this. She'd likely said something to him about what Lycans did to their captives and he'd decided to ask Singe about it to verify what he'd been told. The tension was becoming obvious to the guards and several of them were looking in the direction of the three.

"When we didn't have the time to cover our tracks as well, we killed those that failed the genetic tests. We couldn't risk them talking and drawing attention to us." He didn't bother to add that their bodies had been eaten by the Pack but Michael could doubtless figure it out for himself.

"What gave you the right to kidnap and kill innocent people like that? Is that how I would have ended up if I didn't have the right genes?"

Michael had actually taken several steps towards Singe, his hands clenched into fists and his eyes changed into the jet-black of a hybrid. Selene had a slight smirk on her face. She'd heard all of them put down her people and she wanted to make sure Michael knew the Lycans were just as bad.

His fear turned to anger. How dare this boy look down at them! They'd done what they needed to do to survive. Where was he when Singe was treating wounded Lycan children amid the slaughtered bodies of their family? What did he know about all the times when the Pack had huddled in some dark hole, barely surviving as the vampires lounged in their safe, luxurious mansion? He had only knew about the existence of Bloods and Lycans for two days and yet thought himself a qualified judge of their actions.

"It was unfortunate but what is the fate of a few people compared to the survival of an entire species? We did what we had to. I've seen hundreds of Lycans die in the struggle and I've only been involved for fifty years. How many do you think Lucian's lost? Thousands of men, women, and children have been murdered over the years on both sides. If ending that required a few more sacrifices, then so be it!"

"That's enough!" Lucian's command made everyone jump. He stood in the doorway of the back room but his angry glare was directed at Michael rather than at Singe. Michael flinched at the anger in the other hybrid's voice and suddenly looked afraid.

"Do you think we made the decision to kill lightly, Michael? I have always ordered my Lycans to avoid harming humans. We don't hunt them down for food as in the past. We hunted for the descendants of the Corvinus clan in order to save ourselves and yes, we would have killed you too if we had to. That's what war is all about. That's why it needs to end so I don't have to make those kinds of decisions anymore."

"Excue me if I take that personally but I can't accept that my life and the lives of those other people were expendable. You could have found some other way. Why didn't you just have Kraven kill off the sleeping Elders if they were such a threat? That would have ended the war just as readily."

"No, it would have caused a civil war between the various vampire factions." Selene looked reluctant to support the Lycans position but she needed Michael to understand the world he was now a part of. "And if the Lycans were found to be involved, the effort to wipe them out would have intensified.

Not all vampires wanted them dead. Some wanted them as slaves again. They talked about capturing young Lycans and raising them up as servants but that was thought to be too much trouble. There were also a few who tried to argue for peace but they were usually young vampires raised in modern civilized societies. They had no real idea of what Lycans were like."

"And what are we like?" Raze growled at her, his eyes flashing blue for a second. She regarded the beta wolf without fear despite his intimidating size.

He may not like her but he wouldn't attack her without his master's say-so.

"Before all of this, I would have said 'animals.' But now I guess I would say survivors."

"Let's hope it stays that way." Lucian looked pleased at her response. Raze grudgingly nodded at her answer. Singe sat quietly, not drawing attention to himself. The vampire was right. They'd get through this like they'd gotten through every attempt the vampires had made to wipe them out. Marcus was just one more obstacle to overcome.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"All right, I've made some decisions. The Sanctuaries are at risk as long as Marcus is alive and I need to travel light. Gregori, Pietro, I want each of you to take a team of men and fortify the northern Sanctuary and the one in Austria. They're the two closest and the most likely to get hit if Marcus decides to betray us."

"Sir! We can't just leave you unprotected! Marcus is dangerous." Pietro had been military before he was turned and he still thought in terms of military rank. A good soldier would never leave his commanding officer vulnerable to attack. Lucian fixed him with a withering glare.

"And what do you think I am, Pietro? I'll have Raze and Selene with me and I'm capable of defending myself if need be. And I am going to take two of the men with me. It's simply not feasible to try and sneak around the city with a convoy of large trucks and a small army of armed soldiers.

The protection of the Sanctuaries is more important than anything, including me. Understood?" The cowed Lycan nodded as did the rest of them. "Dmitri, Karl, you're with me. The rest of you get ready to move out as soon as possible."

Singe had expected this move as soon as Lucian had gone to talk to Raze alone. The alpha always preferred stealth to brute force and it was easier to sneak around with only one truck than three. He'd done it a few times before, leaving most of his troops behind and taking only a few followers with him on some secret mission. Singe had been on a couple of them before and it didn't bother him to have most of the guards leave. But Selene and Michael looked shocked.

"Is that wise, Lucian? We're going to need all the help we can get against Marcus."

"Unless his intentions are as benevolent as he claims. But I won't use my men as cannon fodder on the chance that he intends to slaughter all of us. They will serve me much more by protecting the next generation. Besides, when we go to meet our mutual friend, I may be able to pick up reinforcements."

"Are you going to tell me who you're talking about? I'm not fond of mind games." Lucian lifted an eyebrow at her annoyed tone but then shrugged and grinned.

"Very well. I thought to surprise you but if you insist on knowing ahead of time, I'm referring to your old friend, Andreas Tanis."

"Tanis! That weaselly little traitor is no friend of mine."

"Interesting that you label him a traitor when you're now in the same situation that he is. How many of your fellow Bloods will believe that you betrayed Viktor and your own kind? Tanis has his faults but he is working towards the same goal that I am even though it's for different reasons."

"I'm nothing like him." Her reply sounded petulant despite her attempt at disgust. "I may have helped you against Viktor but as I've said, I won't help you kill my fellow Bloods. Tanis has and would."

"Do you really think you'll be able to stick to your convictions in battle? You'll kill in self-defense or to protect Michael and what's the difference? Tanis is no warrior so he aids us with knowledge and weapons. Why should he have loyalty to people who exiled him simply for telling the truth?" 

"Is that where you found out about the Corvinus line? From his books?"

"Yes. He knows more about the origins of our species than anyone save Marcus himself. His knowledge has been invaluable. It's no surprise that Viktor banished him rather then risk the truth about the true source of our cousin species coming to light."

She didn't have an answer for that one and after a moment, Lucian went to talk to Gregori and Pietro to give them further instructions. The men were already packing up and deciding who would go where. Those that had relatives at one of the camps preferred to be with their loved ones if the fight came to them. Otherwise, they were simply assigned to one of the two groups.

When they were ready, the Lycans faced Lucian as a group and saluted. None of them were fond of long drawn-out farewells when there was work to be done so the departing Lycans climbed into the trucks and departed in short order. The compound seemed a lot quieter with only the seven of them left. Raze took up guard duty with Dmitri and Karl. Lucian came and sat with Singe. 

"It's been quite a day, hasn't it, old friend?" Lucian looked tired as though everything were finally starting to catch up with him. Even he had his limits.

"Yes, but I think it is just the beginning. So many things will change now. I'm glad my research paid off. But perhaps you should get some rest, Lucian. It will be a busy night."

"I know I kept you around for a reason, Herr Singe. Who else would dare play mother hen to me?" His alpha grinned at him. Lucian was definitely in good spirits despite the nagging problem of Marcus. 

He reminded Singe of the way he'd been when they first met. The closer they'd gotten to his deadline and the more times they failed to find the correct Corvinus descendant, the moodier he'd become. Lucian was never a relaxed fellow like Anton had been but he'd had flashes of humor. 

"Ah, but my esteemed leader, you are so much older and wiser than me so perhaps you should be playing this 'mother hen' role instead?" Lucian let out a short bark of laughter and clapped the scientist on the shoulder.

"I'm going to get some sleep. Don't bother me unless the place is on fire or Marcus knocks on the front door. Understood?"

"Yes." Singe nodded as Lucian went back into the back room and closed the door. Raze flashed him an approving nod, glad that Singe could put Lucian in a better mood. The alpha needed to relax but the moments when he could do so were few and far between, especially lately.

Singe settled back down himself. He knew he should try and get some sleep as well but his mind was restless and he kept returning to the problem of Marcus. It seemed as though he should be able to figure out what Marcus wanted with him. Did he think Singe could change him back to a vampire? Did he want to punish Singe for changing him even though it had really been Viktor's fault?

There really was no way of knowing with what little information he had so he turned his mind to other things. A glance over at Michael made him start and then turn back to look closer at the hybrid. Michael looked pale and his hands were shaking slightly. Selene didn't appear to have noticed any problem but she wasn't a doctor.

"When was the last time you had something to eat, Michael?" They both looked at Singe warily. The conflict of less than an hour ago was still fresh in their minds but Singe's duty was to the overall health of the Pack. It wasn't the first time he'd been threatened by someone he'd later treated, especially after Lucian learned about the threats.

"It's been a while. But I'm okay." It was an obvious lie. Selene looked concerned now.

"He's right. You need to eat. All those transformations take a lot of energy. I have blood packets in my bag."

"I can't eat blood! It's not right."

Ah, so that was the problem. Singe had seen it many times before in new Lycans. They resisted the urge to eat raw flesh, trying to still cling to their human ways. If they resisted long enough, their instincts would take over and they would blindly attack anyone nearby to satisfy their overwhelming hunger.

"You will have to eat it at some point. Lycans can only digest meat or other forms of protein including blood. Vampires can only digest blood. Anything else makes them sick. As a hybrid of both, your metabolism should be the same."

"I can't eat blood. It's just...too disgusting." He grimaced at the thought.

"There is some venison jerky in the supplies. You can have that for now but you can't always be so picky. You're just going to have to learn to live with your new status."

Singe got up and retrieved the jerky from the pack of supplies in the truck. Michael took it without comment and ate it quickly. He obviously needed it.

"Thanks." Selene looked embarrassed at her failure to realize that Michael was hungry. 

"You should tell me if you have any other problems. Despite what you may think of me, you're part of my Pack and your health is my concern." He ignored Selene and addressed Michael instead.

"I'll keep that in mind. This is all still so strange to me."

"It's strange to everyone at first. You'll get used to it."

Singe retreated back to his own corner. He had no illusion that his help had changed anything between him and Michael and Selene. It was like a temporary truce between battles. There was just no way he could ever be comfortable around Selene. 

He could still see her cold eyes peering into his as she dug the silver bullets from his flesh. He could hear her voice interrogating him as she efficiently maximized his pain until it got the desired result. And he could remember begging for mercy and then finally breaking down and telling her everything.

Even knowing it wasn't his fault, he could still hate himself for that weakness. The vampires were experts at torture after centuries of practice. There was no way he could have resisted but that didn't stop him from feeling guilty. Of course, his hatred for Selene went much deeper than any self-loathing. But his physical weakness had been an issue before in the Pack and he still felt as though he needed to prove himself as a true Lycan, even after all these decades.

Poland,

1969

Singe had been cooped up in his lab for days. Everyone was on edge and irritable. The Pack was holed up at an old farmhouse while they waited for Lucian to return from his latest mission. He'd taken only Anton with him and left a week ago. The boredom and restlessness was taking its toll and Raze had already had to break up two fights. Waiting did not come easily to Lycans. They preferred action.

It didn't help that tonight was the full moon. Food was running low as Lucian had told them not to go the ten miles to town until he returned. Tonight most of the Lycans would shift form and go out into the woods to hunt. Singe would take the enzyme at twilight and stay in his lab. He would try to ignore the triumphant howls of the hunt and the faint urge to join them.

The new genetics book he was attempting to study kept blurring before his eyes and finally he gave up trying to read it. He needed to get something to eat before his inner wolf got restless. The research could wait for a bit. 

Pushing the book aside, he slipped his glasses off and walked out toward the kitchen. Usually, someone delivered his meals to him in the lab but today he felt the need to stretch his legs.

It was near noon and most of the Lycans were sleeping. The Lycans tended to keep the same nocturnal schedule as the vampires but there were always guards standing watch at all times. Singe nodded at those that he saw in the hallways but there weren't many. 

The kitchen was deserted. He put together a plate of cold duck meat from the fridge which was pretty much the only thing left in there. He walked out the back door and sat out on a bench in the sunlight. The air smelled clean out here and the sun warmed him as he ate his lunch. When a Lycan on patrol approached, he didn't even acknowledge him until the man suddenly loomed over him, blocking out the light and leaving him in shadow.

"Who said you could eat what little we have left? Food shouldn't be wasted on useless little weaklings like you."

Singe looked up at the tall, bulky Lycan who towered over him. He couldn't recall the man's name but he recognized the face. The man was a new Lycan they'd recruited here in Poland. Tonight would be his first time changing and it was likely putting him on edge. Still, the scientist felt more annoyed than afraid. 

In the entire time he'd been with the Pack, no one had ever dared to attack him. Even the hint of a threat and Lucian or Raze would have the offending Lycan on the ground, grovelling for forgiveness and spitting out their own blood. Singe ignored the occasional remarks behind his back about himself as Lucian's pet or the sneers about his weakness compared to the others but direct confrontation demanded a response. He'd always had a sarcastic streak and it came out now in full force.

"Don't worry; I'm sure there will be enough scraps left over to keep you satisfied. And don't you know Lycans are supposed to bow to their betters? I'll forgive you this time as you're new but in the future..."

The next thing Singe knew he was lying stunned in the grass and there was the smell of his own blood in the air. The Lycan was standing over him with his fist raised to strike again. The scientist couldn't believe the man had actually hit him. 

He wanted to move away before the blow struck but his dazed thoughts didn't seem to be transmitting to his body so he simply lay there. A snarling transformed Lycan struck the man from behind, knocking him to the ground and away from Singe. 

The newer Lycan tried to fight back but he was no match and ended up flat on his back with the other Lycan pinning him down. Snarling jaws snapped an inch from his face to make sure he wasn't going to try anything and then Taylor shifted back into his human form.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing attacking Singe? I should kill you right now for being so stupid but I'll leave it up to Raze. You don't attack your fellow Lycans for no reason and you don't touch the doctor. Explain yourself!"

"I...he mouthed off to me and he's just a useless old man. He can't even fight."

"You think everything in life is about fighting? Singe does more for our cause in one week than any useless grunt like you could do in an eternity. You're expendable muscle and nothing more. Don't forget that." And then he punched the other Lycan in the face, hard enough to knock him out before turning to Singe.

"You okay? Can you sit up?" The older Lycan came over and helped Singe to his feet. The scientist's head still ached but his feet obeyed him as he hobbled the few steps to the bench with Taylor's help. 

"I'll be okay. He took me by surprise." 

"I'll bet. Pierce, can you go get Raze?" Singe turned his head to see Taylor's partner standing nearby. He hadn't even realized the muscular Lycan was there. Pierce simply nodded and set off at a fast pace for the house. 

Taylor simply sat in silence letting Singe recover for which he was grateful. He didn't want to think about what had just happened. Pierce returned with Raze a few minutes later. The beta was furious. His eyes were wolfen and a low, steady growl emanated from his throat.

"What the hell happened?"

"Henryk attacked Singe. I saw it from the house." Taylor offered. Raze took in Singe's shaken appearance and the blood coating the side of his face from the cut on his forehead. Henryk was stirring in the grass and Raze strode over and grabbed the Lycan, lifting him effortlessly.

"What the hell were you thinking? I should rip your worthless head off for this but I think Lucian might have another use for you." 

"No please, I've learned my lesson. I swear!" Henryk was a large man but compared to Raze he may as well have been a rag doll in the beta's grasp. "I'm sorry."

"There's no excuse you can give and nothing you can say that will get you out of your punishment. Singe, can you get a dose of the serum from your lab or should I send Pierce after it?"

"I can get it." His body had healed itself enough that he could stand without assistance but Raze still sent Taylor with him. The existence of the wolfsbane serum had been controversial when it was first revealed to the Pack a decade ago. There had been a few Lycans who openly called Singe a traitor for developing it. 

But Raze had never expressed any problems with it which had surprised Singe. Raze was sometimes scornful of those who complained about the pain of the Change. Then again, as enforcer for the Pack, he had to beat the other Lycans into shape. There was very little room in him for compassion.

Lucian had decreed that the serum would only be used as punishment or for medical reasons and any further protests died down. No one had ever openly begrudged Singe's use of it even though it set him apart from the Pack. He didn't hunt with them and yet still received a share of the meat. Most of them understood why that was but Henryk was too new to grasp anything of Lycan society beyond dominance. Now he was going to pay for his mistake.

When Singe and Taylor returned with a syringe and a vial of the serum, Henryk began struggling with Raze. The beta knocked him back against a tree, leaving him too dazed to fight back as Singe readied the injection.

"Please don't. I'll make up for it. I'll do anything. Just don't use that on me." They all ignored his feeble protests. Singe jabbed the needle in his arm and injected the serum. Henryk would not change with the rest. He would be outside of the pack and excluded from the hunt. His fate would be up to Lucian and it was likely that the alpha would kill him for his transgression. But he also might keep the misbehaving Lycan alive and have him injected every full moon for a long period of time. He would contribute to the Pack but never be part of it completely.

It was three days later when Singe was woken up from a sound sleep by his door being thrown open. Still half-asleep, it took him several minutes of bleary-eyed staring before he realized it was Lucian standing there. If it had been a vampire, he would have been dead before he could even react. The alpha looked furious and Singe wasted no time scrambling to his feet once he realized who it was.

"Come with me." He turned and stalked off without another word, confident that Singe would obey with question which he did. He followed his leader to a small cell where Henryk had been kept since the attack. The new Lycan was on his knees, head bowed, and clearly afraid. Raze stood by the door waiting for them.

"Is what Raze told me true? Did he attack you?"

"He hit me, yes." He knew the big man had seen it as a dominance issue. It was quite common for Lycans to use force on lesser werewolves if they didn't know their place. And new Lycans who were still at the bottom of the Pack until they proved themselves often started fights with anyone they perceived as weaker than themselves in an attempt to gain status. But Singe had always been exempt from all of that. He was a special case.

"Tell me what happened." Lucian listened intently as Singe explained everything that had happened, word for word. When he finished, Lucian turned to Henryk.

"Do you have anything to add?"

"I'm sorry. It was the full moon making me angry. I didn't mean to hit him, sir. He just mouthed off and I reacted. It won't happen again."

"No, it won't. The full moon is no excuse. I considered killing you but I have a better idea." Henryk looked up with a look of hope. Lucian turned to Raze. "Didn't Tanis request a guard dog a few months ago? I believe we've found what he needs."

Raze simply nodded in agreement. Henryk looked confused but relieved. He had no idea who Tanis was but it sounded like he was only going to be assigned guard duty. Singe wondered how he would react if he knew that he was going to be forced into his wolfen shape and chained to a vampire's prison for eternity. Perhaps he'd prefer death to such a fate. Not that he had a choice in the matter.

Singe felt no pity for Henryk. The Lycan had chosen to attack him. His lack of self-control had brought him to his fate. The only thing that made him uncomfortable was the knowledge that he had to rely on the protection of Lucian, Raze, and the others. As a human, he'd been self-dependent and preferred to do everything himself. As a Lycan, his research was valued by those who understood its importance, but there would always be those who saw him as Henryk had-weak, useless, and expendable.

Even with the drugs in his system, his wolf wanted to prove itself. Sometimes he could feel the primal urges rising in him to fight and kill. That was especially true at the full moon. He locked himself in his lab when all he really wanted to do was hunt with his packmates and howl at the moon. Sometimes the thought arose in his head that he was just a shadow of a Lycan, living something that barely qualified as existence. 

Maybe someday, if his research paid off, he could relax a bit and let himself live more like the rest of the Pack. But Lucian's plan still had decades to go before it could be implemented. Even if Singe were to find the correct Corvinus descendant tomorrow, it would only be one more step in their war. Then again, he was immortal now. What were a few decades compared to the centuries he had to look forward to?

But he always ignored the idea. If he didn't find a way to defeat the Bloods, then there was no future for any of them. What were his feeble instincts compared to the destruction of an entire species? He'd just have to endure until the war was over, however long that might be.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Three hours before dusk, Lucian emerged from the back room looking rested and relaxed. Selene and Michael were curled up together in the corner. They both raised their heads and looked around as Lucian walked past them. Singe had dozed off but he was a light sleeper and woke up as soon as he heard the alpha approach. Raze came over to greet him.

"Sir, Gregori called an hour ago to say he made it to Sanctuary just fine and Isadore has everyone on high alert. They should be well-prepared for any attack."

"That's good to hear. Any news from Pietro?"

"No, but he should be reaching the Austrian Sanctuary within the next hour."

"All right. We're going to leave early. I want to be in position before the vampires are on the move."

"Do you think they're going to try something?" Raze's eyes narrowed at the thought of the vampires trying to ambush them. He didn't trust any of them.

"I believe that Erika was telling the truth when she asked to come with us. But the others in the safehouse may have their own plans. They know where she's meeting us and I don't want them to get the drop on us."

Raze nodded approvingly and joined Karl and Dmitri in loading up the truck. Singe joined them to make sure they were being careful in handling his delicate equipment. Selene and Michael merely stayed out of the way.

They all ate before they left at Lucian's insistence. Michael ate more of the jerky while the Lycans ate the meat they'd brought along. Selene drank some of the blood stored at the compound. They would all need to be strong and ready for whatever happened.

They got underway in less than an hour. Lucian sat up front with Raze again. Michael and Selene sat at the back of the truck with the vampire once again covered in the thick blanket to ward off the sun. Singe sat between Karl and Dmitri at the opposite end. Both of the Lycan guards were giving the vampire a wide berth out of disgust rather than fear. They were both seasoned warriors who had fought the vampires for decades and were not inclined to playing nice.

The trip was spent in silence. Everyone was tense and preoccupied with the unknown situation ahead of them. The trip back to Budapest seemed to take longer than the trip to the safehouse.

They arrived at the entrance to Varosliget as the sun was beginning to set. Raze parked outside the zoo entrance, making sure there was a clear view of the surrounding area. Singe got out to stretch his legs along with Karl. The air was full of all sorts of interesting odors from the animals nearby. His beast stirred within him at the thought of prey but the elixir in his system kept it largely sedated.

Lucian waited by the side of the truck with Karl as a guard. Once the sun had fully set, Selene emerged from the back of the truck followed by Michael. There were still lots of people walking around the park grounds although the zoo itself was closed. Hopefully, if the vampires wanted to start anything, they would be more hesitant around mortals. They wouldn't want to draw attention to themselves by opening fire.

It was nearly an hour after sundown when Selene spotted Erika making her way towards them, carrying a large purse. There was no sign of anyone else with her. She stopped a few feet away, her eyes darting between Selene and the Lycans. The blonde looked apprehensive and Karl's scowl probably wasn't helping her feel at ease.

"Thanks for agreeing to help me, Selene."

"You should thank Lucian. It was his decision." She looked apprehensively at Lucian and then nodded.

"Thank you, Lucian but why did you say yes?"

"I'm trying to achieve peace between our species and any vampire who's willing to support us is welcome. But you understand we have to search you for security measures."

"I have nothing to hide." She allowed Selene to come forward and search her quickly, making it look like two friends embracing. There weren't very many people around but they didn't want to attract any undue attention. The blond was unarmed and her bag merely contained several dresses and shoes. Selene stepped back and nodded at Lucian.

"Please get in the truck. We have a few things to discuss and I'd rather not do it out in the open."

Erika hesitated at the thought of getting in the truck with the large, unfriendly werewolves but she'd agreed to accompany them and allowed Selene to help her into the truck. Dmitri's glare followed her as she slid past him to sit in the front of the truck.

Karl had gone to sit in the front seat with Raze and Dmitri left the truck once Lucian entered. They needed someone to stand guard outside and the Lycan soldier would only be in the way while they talked.

Selene sat next to Erika with Michael on her other side. Erika was still nervous as Lucian settled himself a foot away with Singe at his side. The blonde vampire barely even looked at Singe except to give him a simple look of confusion. He didn't look like the typical Lycan and she wasn't afraid of him which made the scientist think she must be quite naive. He might not have the bulk of Raze and the guards but Singe was well-versed in how to kill. He could have taken the vampire out before she could defend herself. It was to her detriment to underestimate any of them or what they were capable of.

"Now, I'd like to make a few things clear. If we're attacked, I expect you to fight. We'll have more important things to worry about than protecting you."

"I'm not helpless. I know how to shoot a gun." She was indignant enough to lose a bit of her nervousness and glare at Lucian.

"That's good. We'll give you one when I'm satisfied that I can trust you. Also, I'd like to know whether you were in the mansion when Marcus awoke and if so, what did you see?"

"I wasn't there. I went out after Kraven left me behind. I was so mad at him that I didn't want to be there when he came back. The safehouse I went to was where he told his followers to convene in case he was ever discovered and had to flee. I don't know what happened at Ordoghaz after I left."

"Very well. What about those vampires who were with you at the safehouse? What did they have to say?"

"They didn't follow me if that's what you're asking. Simon was hurt and they didn't want to leave him behind. They were going to wait until he'd recovered and then set out for one of the western covens. They thought I was a fool for meeting you. Diane said you'd probably kill me. She said that Lycans can't be trusted."

Vampires didn't take long to heal if they had enough blood to consume but if this Simon had been hurt badly enough, it might take a day or two for him to recover. That gave them enough breathing space to avoid the vampires. A few of the western covens nearly rivaled Ordoghaz in size. Most of them would gladly take in more Death Dealers, especially if they thought the Lycans had caused the deaths here in Budapest. They would need any soldiers they could get.

The other covens would see the destruction of Ordoghaz and the Council as an act of all-out war. The conflict would escalate and the vampires might be frightened enough to ignore their rules against harming mortals. If mortals got in the way of their war, it was just too bad. If it were up to Singe, he would send one of the guards to that safehouse and make sure the three Death Dealers never made it out of there alive to join any other coven. But Lucian would only kill them if they threatened the pack directly.

"Diane always was an arrogant fool." Selene commented with a slight sneer. "If she were trustworthy herself, then she wouldn't have taken up with Kraven."

Erika flushed and looked embarrassed. She hadn't been in on Kraven's plans but she probably would have gone along with them if she had known. Lucian cleared his throat and ignored the tension.

"We're going to Ordoghaz now and Selene will meet with Marcus. I'll see how that goes before deciding on our next move."

"You're meeting with Marcus? But he's insane. He'll kill all of us like he did the rest of the coven." Erika stood up in alarm but Selene grabbed her by the arm and forced her to sit back down.

"Marcus may be insane but he wants to talk. I don't think he intends to kill me but even if he does, you'll be staying with them so you should be safe." There was a mocking tone in her voice over Erika's perceived cowardice. Singe found himself agreeing with Erika. This planned meeting was dangerous and possibly a mistake. But it wasn't up to him to say otherwise.

"If the meeting goes well, we'll be going to see Tanis directly after. When we get there, I want the two of you together to try and contact some of the other covens and try and get them on our side. They may take two vampires more seriously than one. Once they learn that Viktor and Amelia are dead and Marcus is a hybrid, perhaps they'll be more willing to make peace."

"How much am I supposed to tell them? Do they need to know that you're still alive and that you orchestrated the death of the Elders? Because I guarantee that won't go over well."

"I want them to know I'm alive. They'll find out sooner or later and it may jar some of them into defensive methods rather than offensive. But they don't need to know I planned the Elders deaths. You can blame Kraven for that. It's half the truth anyway. We'll figure out just how much to tell them when we get there."

"All right." Lucian's plan was built on a lot of assumptions and he might have to change them at a moments notice as new information was revealed. It was not good for any of them to be so uncertain about the future. But what choice did they have? Until the problem of Marcus was addressed, one way or another, they had to improvise.

Luckily, Lucian had a talent for adapting to new situations quickly. If Marcus proved a threat, Lucian would put all his resources toward destroying that threat. If Marcus proved to be an ally, then Lucian could use him to force the vampires into peace. After all, hybrid or not, he was the only Elder left alive.

Singe knew enough about coven politics to know that without a central leader, the vampires would splinter into various factions and probably turn on each other. They were cunning and devious creatures who couldn't be trusted. At least among the Lycans, when one of them wanted to challenge Lucian, he did so openly. Not that it had done any challengers any good in the past. Lucian may not be the largest Lycan but he was quick, vicious, and smart. He had been Alpha for centuries and no one had ever come close to defeating him until that coward, Kraven, had shot him in the back.

Lucian went back to sit up front with Raze again as the two Lycan guards joined the rest of them in the back. Erika eyed them nervously and stuck close to Selene's side. She was no Death Dealer and had no interactions with Lycans before tonight. Now she was riding in a truck with five of them. Singe was glad she was scared. He preferred that reaction in vampires over Selene's cool indifference.

They drove in silence. The Lycans had nothing to say to the two vampires and Erika seemed too intimidated to strike up a casual conversation with anyone. Selene seemed to be mentally prepping herself for her meeting with Marcus. Michael rested with his head against the wall and his eyes closed. He hadn't slept nearly enough. None of them had. It wouldn't do to be attacked and not be ready.

Dmitri and Karl contented themselves with cleaning their weapons. The two Lycans were seasoned warriors and handled the guns with precision. Karl was German, tall and dark-haired with a tendency to be taciturn and distant. Dmitri, the blond Ukranian, was usually his opposite and had a habit of talking one's ear off, especially when drunk. But he knew when to keep his mouth shut such as on missions. They'd both been around almost as long as Singe.

In the past few centuries, Lucian and the Pack had traveled all over Europe and beyond, evading the Bloods and recruiting new Lycans. There were members of the Pack from four continents and at least sixteen different countries. They all took pride in the way they could come together as one Pack despite their differences.

Vampires were a bit more hierarchal. You could rise in power in the coven by merit but having a certain background gave one an advantage. Viktor, Amelia, and Marcus were aristocrats, after all. They had viewed lesser vampires as servants and minions. Lucian had been a slave. He never let the others forget he was their alpha but he rewarded achievement regardless of whether it was accomplished by the newest recruit or some centuries-old warrior.

Not that there were many left of the older ones. When you fought in battle after battle over the years, you were bound to be unlucky eventually. Singe could only count about two dozen Lycans who were more than two centuries old and the majority of those were females who were less likely to participate in open warfare. It was depressing to think of how much history was lost every time one of them was killed.

It didn't take them long to reach their destination. The main entrance to Ordoghaz was still blocked off and guarded by the police to keep away the curious. So Selene directed them to a back road that led to a small guard house in the woods behind the ruins of the mansion.

Selene began putting on the surveillance equipment. She would be wearing a concealed microphone and a camera so they could monitor her conversation with Marcus. There was a cell phone in her packet in case she needed to call them for any reason. The vampire was calm as she finished adjusting the devices. She was in her element again and probably glad to be able to do something more than run or hide.

Lucian joined them in the back again, sending Dmitri to sit up front with Raze, as Singe helped to set up the laptop that would be receiving the signals from the hidden devices. They did a quick test and found the audio and visual were just fine. It was time for Selene to leave.

"Good luck." Erika whispered. She seemed even more spooked now that she was going to be left alone with the Lycans.

"Thanks." Michael stood up and looked at her hesitantly as though he didn't know what to say. Selene simply leaned forward and kissed him. He put his arms around her and for a moment, Singe thought he might not let her go but then he stepped back again.

"Be careful."

"I always am. I'll be back soon."

Selene climbed out of the truck and set off into the woods. Michael and Erika clustered around the screen, peering over Singe and Lucian's shoulders to see what was going on. There was no noise except the faint crackle of leaves as the vampire moved through the woods towards Marcus.

The Elder had told her to meet him at the top of a small hill deep in the woods. It would take her about ten minutes of walking to get there and until then, they kept the visual signal on hold to reduce power consumption. The camera's batteries would only last so long.

When she reached the top of the hill, Marcus was nowhere in sight. Selene activated the camera and looked around warily. The screen turned with her movement so they got a panoramic view of her surroundings. Everything was still and quiet.

"Lord Marcus?"

For a moment nothing happened and then there was a rustling noise that was much louder than the leaves and Selene turned around so fast that the watchers only saw a blurred glimpse of the creature swooping down from above.

Then she stopped moving and they could all see Marcus standing there about ten feet away. He looked human with no trace of the leathery wings he'd sported just seconds ago. He was smiling as he studied Selene who stayed still, waiting for him to make the first move.

"I wondered whether you would actually show up, Selene. Surely, you must have considered the possibility that I simply lured you here to kill you?"

Michael growled softly over Lucian's shoulder and Erika drew in a little gasp but Singe and Lucian stayed in place, not wanting to miss a second of what was happening.

"If you wanted to kill me, Lord Marcus, you wouldn't have resorted to tricks. You would have hunted all of us down yourself and enjoyed the chase."

"True. You know me well. I didn't come here to kill you or Lucian and his pups. Instead, I need your help, all of you. I assume you're not here alone and Lucian is listening in somehow? This modern technology makes things so easy."

"Yes, it does. What do you require our help with?"

"How much do you know about the origins of our species? I know that Lucian and his scientist are aware of some of the details but how much do you know personally?"

Selene was silent for a moment, probably trying to decide how to answer. She didn't know why Marcus was asking her the question any more than the rest of them did.

"Singe said that the line of Corvinus gave rise to both Lycans and vampires. He said that Alexander Corvinus, your father, was the first immortal and that two of his sons were bitten by wolf and bat to become the first of the two species."

"So you don't remember your own role in this? You don't know the real reason your family was killed?" Marcus was staring at Selene intently, judging her reaction.

"Kraven said they were targeted at random, that Viktor felt the need to kill occasionally and we were his unlucky victims." Her voice was tight with anger and Singe hoped she wouldn't lose her temper with Marcus and do something to upset him.

"No. Viktor killed your father to stop me from finding him and the rest of your family was killed merely to finish the job. Why he spared you I can't be sure. Perhaps you really did remind him of poor Sonja. But he went there specifically to kill your family."

"Why? What possible threat could my father have been? He was a stonemason not a vampire hunter."

"Ah, but stonemasons build things, things like prisons. A prison to hold Viktor and Amelia's most important prisoner. You played among the structure while it was being built. You know where it is even if you don't remember what you know. That's why I need your help, to find the prison and once there, I need Singe's help to treat the prisoner inside."

"Who is this prisoner?"

"My brother William. I need your help to free the first Lycan."


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Singe thought he had misheard at first. William, the first Lycan was alive and had been held prisoner by the Bloods all this time? What sort of torments could they have inflicted on him over the centuries? It was horrifying to imagine. Surely, William must be insane by now as Marcus certainly was.

Lucian gave a slow deep breath as he contemplated whether to call Selene and get involved. It was possible that if they succeeded in somehow rescuing William, that he might be stronger than Lucian and try to take his place as alpha. What would William's survival mean for the Lycans as a race? Even Lucian was unsure how to react to this news.

"Tell me about William. What happened to him? I don't remember any prison but perhaps if you explain, it will spark something." Selene was stalling for time. She didn't know how to react to Marcus' revelation any more than the rest of them did.

"Very well. William is my twin. We were inseperable growing up. William was frail and sickly but our father made sure we were both schooled in all the arts befitting young lords. There were some things that William could best me at and but I was usually the winner. But we never had a rivalry and it was all in good fun.

There began to be rumors in the area of a vicious wolf that was attacking and killing the local villagers. I decided to go after it and I agreed to let William come along. His eyesight was too poor for hunting but he enjoyed the chance to get out on horseback in the woods. We took a handful of men and tracked the beast to its lair.

It was far more cunning and vicious than we thought. It attacked us when any other animal would have fled. Two of the men were killed outright and William and several others were injured before I managed to slay it.

We began to transport the injured men, including William back to the castle. But it was slow going and night overtook us before we were halfway there. We set up camp in a clearing and lit a fire to keep wild animals at bay. William's injuries were minor compared to some, a few deep scatches and bite marks. But he seemed sick and his skin was hot to the touch. I knew something was wrong as there was no way the wound could have gotten infected that quickly."

There was almost a note of anguish in Marcus' voice as he told the story even though it had been centuries and he knew his brother had survived. It was as though the confusion of that night was still with him even now.

"That night as we slept, the clouds above cleared and the light of the full moon fell upon William. I awoke to the sounds of screams as the rest of the men were torn apart by the creature my brother had become. But even in his madness, he knew me. He looked right at me and left me there to run off into the night. I tried to follow him but he was too fast and soon I had to admit defeat."

"And then what happened? How did Viktor get involved?"

"I'm getting to that." Marcus looked annoyed at her interruption so she wisely kept quiet. "I intended to enlist my father's help. With the assistance of his men, surely we could capture William and find a way to cure him of his curse.

A storm developed before I reached the castle and I took refuge in a cave. When I lit a fire, the smoke disturbed the bats over head. I remember how they swirled around me in a panic before exiting the cave. I was bitten at least twice but I thought nothing of it and tried to get some well-needed sleep.

Only I couldn't fall asleep. Something felt wrong within me and then there was horrible pain and I thought I was dying. When the transformation was complete and the pain had subsided, I was no mindless beast as William had become but I knew I was different. I was stronger, faster, and the night looked as bright as day to my new eyes. I had fangs now and I hungered although I did not yet know what I hungered for.

I caught one of the bats in mid-flight and tore it apart with my fangs but its blood did nothing to quench my thirst. I was forced to go out into the forest, desperately searching for what I needed. I came across some unfortunate hunters. I killed all of them before I could stop myself. I had become as much of a monster as my brother but once I drank their blood I became more calm and rational.

I decided to go to my father and enlist his help for both our sakes. I thought that there must be a cure for whatever had happened to me. I reached the castle just before dawn and explained what had happened to both if us. I expected him to begin devising a solution right then and there but my father was not as...helpful as I expected."

Marcus's eyes were glowing blue now and his hands were clenched into fists at the memory of what Alexander Corvinus had done to him all those centuries before. But he wasn't even looking at Selene. All his anger was at his father. Selene kept very still, trying not to draw attention to herself until Marcus calmed down a bit and continued with his story.

"My father called us monsters when he found out what had happened. I could smell his fear as he bade his men to lock me away until he could decide what to do with me. I should have been a match for them but as they laid hands on me, the sun rose enough for its light to spill through the window. When my hand was touched by the light, it began to burn.

The pain was horrible and I didn't truly understand what was happening. My father's men dragged me into the lower levels where there were no windows to let the light in. I was locked in a cell and left alone for the rest of the day. I thought then that I must surely be damned to be burned by sunlight like a demon.

That night my father came to visit me. He told me that I was a threat to his people. I was to be kept under lock and key until a priest could be fetched to perform an exorcism on me. My father was never a religious man but the only explanation he could think of was that I was possessed. But in Singe's thoughts in my head, I see that the correct term was that I had 'evolved.' Pity there were no scientists back then to explain my condition."

Actually, Singe thought the correct term would be "mutation." Evolution implied that what had happened to Marcus and William was the result of natural progression. Instead, they had inherited something from their father that caused them to be susceptible to an infection that fused their DNA with that of an animal. But he wouldn't expect Marcus to fully understand Singe's memories of science. Whatever he had gotten from Singe was likely a jumbled mess of random scenes and idle speculation about the biological origins of Bloods and Lycans.

"I was his prisoner for three days before I managed to escape. I'd acted cowed every time the servants came to check on me. One of them was careless and got too close to the bars. I managed to grab him and rip his throat out before he could back away. I used the keys on his belt to escape and fled the castle. Luckily, it was nightfall or I would have been trapped there until sunset.

I knew my father would come after me. He'd already established hunting parties to go after William. We were his own sons and he was willing to kill us rather than try to help. He claimed we were a threat to his people but since when were a bunch of filthy peasants more important than his own flesh and blood? I suppose in his arrogance he believed he could have more children over the years and he still had Thomas, as useless as that sniveling coward was as an heir. But he should still have tried to find a cure for our condition instead of just writing us off as monsters."

Something seemed odd to Singe about Marcus's account. The hybrid was clearly upset by his father's betrayal but it didn't add up. Why had Alexander Corvinus shunned his sons so easily? Had he been so horrified by their mutation that he wanted them destroyed rather than have his family's reputation tainted by association?

Everything Singe had read about him suggested a man who was ruthless to his enemies but loyal and protective towards those he cared about. The fact that he'd been willing to have an exorcism performed on Marcus despite his indifference to the Church suggested to Singe that he'd been desperate to save his son. Marcus was likely biased by his centuries of brooding on the injustice but there was no way to know Corvinus's side of things without finding him and no one had seen him in centuries.

"I tried to track down William myself to save him from my father's hunters but I could never catch him. His mind was gone and he had all the instincts of an animal. So I enlisted the help of Viktor and his army. That was my greatest mistake, trusting him and that bitch, Amelia. As soon as they had captured William, they turned against me and took power. I didn't dare go against them with my brother's life at stake."

"And they've held him captive all this time?"

"Yes, in a prison your father designed and built to Viktor's exact specifications. From what I've heard, he brought you and your sister along while he was working on it. You've been there even if you don't remember it."

"And how do you intend to jog my memory?" Selene sounded wary. She was surely remembering all the vampires he had killed at Ordoghaz. If he had to kill her to get what he needed, he'd do it without a second thought.

"I merely need to drink a small portion of your blood and sort through your blood memories to find it. That is all I need from you."

"Then what do you need Singe and the pendent for?"

"The pendent is one-half of the key that opens William's prison. I don't know where the other half is but I know someone who does. I believe Lucian is headed towards a meeting with Andreas Tanis? He has the information I need. As for the Lycan doctor, I need him to treat William. I believe he can cure William by making him a hybrid like me."

Lucian, Michael, and Erika turned to look at Singe who couldn't hide his horror at the thought. Marcus seemed to think that becoming a hybrid would allow William to regain his humanity. Instead, it was more likely that he would gain all the benefits of a hybrid while retaining the mental state of an animal. It had taken an army to capture William before. With the added benefits of a hybrid, he'd likely be unstoppable.

"I'm calling Selene. This has gone on far enough." Lucian dialed the other cell phone. When it rang, Selene flinched slightly making the camera move slightly. She answered it while Marcus looked impatient.

"Selene, tell Marcus he can meet us at Tanis's place. We can talk there. Tell him I'm willing to help but we need to hammer out a few details first."

Selene relayed the conversation to Marcus. The hybrid looked briefly annoyed and then seemed to accept Lucian's words.

"Very well, I will meet you at Tanis's fort. Don't be late. I am not a patient man."

Marcus transformed and spread massive wings before launching himself into the air with barely a sound. As soon as he was lost to sight amid the darkness, Selene turned and made her way back to the truck as swiftly as possible.

She slipped into the back of the truck and into Michael's arms. Selene looked upset but there was anger in her eyes as well. She'd had to absorb a lot of unwelcome information over the past two days but the idea that her family had been targeted deliberately seemed to have affected her deeply. Lucian told Raze to start driving and the motor rumbled into life. It would take about two hours to reach Tanis' manor and Lucian wanted to get there as soon as possible.

"What do you think, Selene? Can we trust him?" Lucian deferred to her as she knew Marcus better than him. He had served Viktor as a slave and had very little direct contact with the other two Elders. Selene shook her head.

"I think he will do anything to free his brother. If we cooperate or he thinks we're cooperating, he'll treat us as partners. But the minute he thinks he won't get his way, he'll turn on us."

"That was my thought as well. The question becomes, should we free William or not? My goal is to bring about peace between our cousin species. If William gets loose and begins slaughtering humans again, it will be a disaster for both Lycans and Bloods. He would expose our very existence to the human population."

"Is there a chance he could be healed if he became a hybrid?" Michael looked to Singe for an answer.

"I can not say until I have a chance to examine William's blood. Tanis's books state that William was a mindless animal and that the Lycans he spawned were likewise animals, unable to revert to human or think rationally. It may be that becoming a hybrid would allow William to assume human form again but what would his mental state be? I would think that he would be a dangerous madman with the abilities of a hybrid."

"I doubt Marcus will give you the time to do a proper study of his twin. After all these centuries, he will want to change him and then release him as soon as possible. I think for now it would be best if we played along and made Marcus think we are on his side."

"I think we should at least try to help. If Singe can change William back, then Marcus would become a willing ally. He could persuade the other vampires to make peace." The others stared at Michael in surprise. He had a mind for strategy despite his inexperience and youth. That might be helpful if he could just learn to keep his mouth in check.

"If it's possible, we will help. William is a fellow Lycan after all. But if worst comes to worst, it might be kinder to kill him rather than risk him being freed or just leaving him to captivity. We'll just have to see where this goes."

Singe had a bad feeling about this. Marcus was insane but he was also cunning, ruthless, and obsessive about helping his brother. The scientist didn't believe for a moment that Marcus would honor any deal he made with them. Even if they helped him free William and cured him of his current state, there was no guarantee he wouldn't simply turn on them and kill them all. If they refused to help, he would likely do the same. It was a bad situation, all around. The only thing he could do was keep his head down and follow Lucian's lead.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

They reached Tanis's prison in a little under two hours. The place was forbidding in the dark but Singe had been here before and the only thing that worried him was facing Marcus. Raze parked the truck in the courtyard and they all got out, sniffing at the air and scanning the night sky for any sign of the hybrid Elder.

There was no sign of him. Everything was quiet and still but there was a light burning in one of the upper windows. Singe disliked Tanis as he did all of the Bloods but the cowardly scholar wasn't much of a threat. He could tolerate the vampire, especially when it meant access to the rare books in Tanis's possession.

Singe hadn't been here in over two decades but everything still looked the same. Technically, Tanis could leave the building at any time. He wasn't locked in so it wasn't strictly a prison. But being in exile meant that any vampire who ran into him had the right to kill him if they chose so he only left to visit the nearby village on rare occasions.

There was the scent of Lycans in the air and Lucian strode toward a nearby tunnel opening. He ordered Dmitri to stay with the truck while the rest of them trailed after him. Selene was on alert with her hand on her gun while Erika looked nervous and stuck close to the former Death Dealer. She didn't even know who Tanis was until Selene had told her on their way here. Michael was looking around with undisguised curiosity.

Lucian growled, a low sound that made the other Lycans shiver including Michael. Selene frowned and was about to ask him what he was doing when there was an answering growl and the sound of clinking chains. She heard the familiar click of long claws on concrete and then a chained, transformed Lycan slunk out of the tunnel and straight toward them. Erika gave a little gasp of surprise and took an involuntary step backwards. She'd never actually seen any of them in Lycan form before. Selene had her gun in her hand and was on edge but she waited to see what was going on.

There were three other nearby tunnel openings spaced around the base of the castle and from each one came another Lycan, all Changed and chained. Lucian never moved a muscle as the four approached him and then sat before him in a crouch. They were all considerably larger than the alpha but there was no doubt who was in charge.

"The four of you were put here because you challenged me and my plans. Now that they have come to fruition, I'm willing to give you a second chance. I want each of you to pledge yourselves to me again. If you refuse, then you can stay chained here for eternity. And if you cross me, I'll make you regret it." His voice was calm but there was no doubt in any of the listeners that he would do exactly what he said. Lucian had spent seven centuries planning revenge for one injustice. Making them pay for any treachery towards him would be child's play.

All four of them remained crouched. They couldn't Change back due to the drugs in their system but their body language was submissive, head down and limbs tucked under their body to look as small and nonthreatening as possible. Singe was barely paying any attention to them. He had the uncanny feeling of being watched and knew Marcus had to be nearby.

All four of the Lycans here had committed a crime that had caused them to be sentenced to this place. It might be seen as a merciful alternative to death until you considered the fact that they were immortal and might spend centuries living as animals. Was this how William lived and if so, how could he possibly be sane after all these years?

Henryk was the Lycan on the right. Two of the others had been sent here for challenging Lucian's decisions. If they had challenged his position as alpha, they'd be dead. Lucian tolerated no equals. Instead Bela and Stanislaus had repeatedly argued with Lucian's plans and even refused to follow through with his orders but for opposite reasons.

Bela wanted to declare all-out war on the vampires. He'd acted recklessly in his hatred and caused the deaths of two of his patrol group when he'd attacked a group of Bloods rather than hiding. He had talked several times of burning Ordoghaz to the ground while the vampires slept inside. Singe wondered what he would think of Marcus doing it for him.

Stanislaus had believed that they should reveal their existence and that of the Bloods to the human population. He argued that in the light of public scrutiny, the two groups would be forced to make peace or risk the wrath of the much larger human society. He'd even tried to use the existence of Goth clubs in many European cities as a sign that humanity would accept their hidden, immortal cousins. Lucian had sent the fool to the castle after Stan had gone to those clubs and tried to recruit others which jeopardized their secrecy.

The fourth Lycan was Anton and Singe couldn't even look at him. It still hurt that his old friend had ended up here even if it had been his own fault. He'd been here for over twenty years but it felt like just yesterday.

Romania

March, 1981

The road to the Romanian Sanctuary was long and boring. Singe was tired of seeing the same scenery pass in what seemed like an endless loop. He would rather have stayed in Turkey with Lucian but the alpha felt he needed a vacation and had sent him on this trip with Anton and Karl. The scientist had felt restless and antsy lately.

The Pack had been holed up in Ankara for over six months while they tracked down a local branch of the Corvinus family. They had all proven negative and Singe had been feeling frustrated over his lack of progress. The idea of finding a Corvinus descendant who would serve as a bridge between the Lycans and the Bloods had been a good one in theory but in practice, it was proving to be unsuccessful.

There were still a lot of leads and they still had a couple of decades before the plan would go into effect but the repeated failures had made Singe feel inadequate. He wanted to prove his worth to Lucian and the Pack by finding the correct descendant but now he was thinking that maybe the bloodline was too diluted to be of any use. Maybe none of the descendants possessed the right genetic markers and this was all a waste of time.

Lucian had taken note of Singe's restlessness after the scientist had snapped at several Pack members over a minor incident. Three of the Lycans had gotten into a fight with each other that had required medical attention. Squabbles like that were a common occurrence among Lycan warriors but Singe had snarled at them that they should learn some discipline and stop wasting his time. Treating their injuries took valuable time away from his research.

It was uncharacteristic of the scientist to be so forward. He was often sarcastic with others but his anger at them went beyond that. So Lucian ordered him to go with Anton and Karl while they checked on the southern Romanian Sanctuary. He thought that the scientist needed a vacation away from his unrelenting quest. As far as Singe was concerned, the two weeks were a waste of time but he had to obey his alpha.

They had traveled overnight despite the slight risk that they might be spotted by Bloods. The vampires wouldn't be able to identify them as Lycans from a distance but there was always a chance that Anton or Karl might be recognized. They were both active warriors who were often sent out on missions as opposed to the reserves who were usually just guards and didn't go out in the field.

But they'd taken precautions to avoid being recognized and they'd dressed in decent clothes. One thing the Bloods looked for was scruffy, dirty men who moved in a certain way. Even low-ranking Lycans had a tendency to act more powerful and forward than poor humans who might be dressed in a similar way. The smarter wolves learned to mask their body language while out in public.

But clothing was not that important in Lycan society so most only had the type of clothes that the vampires were on the look out for. What was the point of wearing something nice that would be shredded if the Lycan was forced to Change quickly? And the money that came into the Pack went more to weapons and supplies than fashion. So the vampires's stereotype of the Lycans as dirty, savage creatures tended to be upheld even though it was only a particular type of Lycan that they were likely to encounter.

Anton had taken one of the nicer cars used by the Pack. All three Lycans in the car had I.D's on them that would pass all but the most intense scrutiny. They were dressed in clean clothes, clean-shaven, and all together presentable. Hopefully, if they were pulled over, everything would go smoothly but Karl was careful to not draw attention to themselves by speeding or driving aggressively.

They turned into the dirt road that led to the southern Sanctuary shortly after dawn. Anton was especially eager to see his older son, Stefan, who was stationed as a guard here. The Lycan was a warrior as much as his father but guarding the Sanctuaries was just as important as any other job. It was a position of honor and both Anton and Gretal were proud of him.

Singe had never been here before but Anton had described the layout to him. There was a large, three story farmhouse and two barns which had both been converted to living spaces for the roughly one hundred Lycans that lived here. Tunnels criss-crossed the land creating a maze of hiding places and defensive positions. The property consisted of twelve acres of untouched wilderness and there was plenty of wild game in the area. Lycans had lived here for nearly sixty years without being discovered.

But as they approached the site of the Sanctuary, it was obvious something was wrong. Their first clue was the sight of smoke rising above the trees and the sharp, nauseating odor of burning flesh. They made it clear of the trees into the main area to find all three buildings were on fire. Bodies were scattered around the lawn and there was no sight of movement anywhere.

Anton was out of the truck before it had come to a complete stop and he took off running, screaming his son's name. Karl parked and he and Singe followed close behind. Up close, he could see that the bodies all bore gun shot wounds, usually to the head. The smell of silver made him grimace but there was nothing he could do for any of them so he kept going.

This was obviously the work of vampires but how had they found this place? Was it sheer luck or had some hapless captured Lycan given up the location as the Bloods tortured it out of him? Either way, their luck had run out and the most they could hope for was to find survivors in the tunnels.

Karl had run around the buildings but Singe took the time to look at each of the bodies as he passed, hoping to see signs of life. But the Death Dealers were very efficient in their work and there were none. He skidded to a stop in horror as he realized that the body on his left was that of a girl, no more than six or seven, with a bullet hole between her eyes. He'd heard that they would kill Lycan children without remorse but there was a difference between hearing it and seeing it for himself.

His beast raged inside and for a moment he almost wanted to Change, to give an outlet to the pain and anger within him. But a long, mournful howl from behind the main house made him jump. He knew what it must mean and took off at a run again.

Singe circled around to the back of the building, giving the flames a wide berth. There were more bodies here and he estimated he'd seen at least thirty or forty. Anton was in Lycan form, having transformed instinctively under stress. He cradled Stefan's still body to his chest, his head bowed in agony.

There was nothing Singe could do and he stood there helplessly until movement seen out of the corner of his eye made him whirl in that direction. The sun shone weakly through the smoke so there was no risk from vampires but he was so on edge that any thing unexpected made him react defensively.

But it was only Karl emerging from the nearest tunnel entrance. He loped toward them with a grim expression. Anton ignored him but the Lycan addressed him anyway.

"There are bodies in the tunnels including at least two vampires that I saw. I didn't go far in but there may be survivors further on. We need to go looking for them."

Anton gave no indication that he'd heard. Karl moved forward cautiously and then jumped back as Anton snapped at him. He crouched down, making himself smaller and less of a threat and also trying to appear submissive. Anton was third in command in the Pack. That made him the acting alpha here and both Karl and Singe were supposed to obey him as they would Lucian.

"Sir, I'm sorry about Stefan but we really need to look for survivors. I can't allow Singe to go down there with me. It's too dangerous. There may even be vampires still alive down there."

That got Anton's attention. He lowered Stefan's body to the ground and then walked up to Karl and growled low in his throat as he bent his head until it almost touched the crouching man.

"Let's get this straight. I will go down with you in the tunnels and help you to rescue any survivors. If there are any vampires down there, they are mine to kill. Then you and Singe will take the survivors to Lucian. I'm leaving. You will not try to follow me or ask any questions or I'll kill you myself. Is that clear?"

There was dead silence for a moment and then Karl nodded shakily. Anton was powerful but everyone tended to view him as one of them and not as an alpha. He was always personable and comfortable around the newer Lycans as he had been with Singe. His good humor and penchant for jokes were rare among Lucian's usually grim warriors. Singe had seen him discipline men before but never like this.

It occurred to the scientist that the death of his son might well have been too much for Anton to bear. He had been fighting this war for over a century and there was only so much pain and misery any individual could take. It wouldn't be the first time one of them had cracked under anger and stress.

"Singe, stay here. You can look around for any signs of survivors but don't go out of sight of the tunnels." Anton didn't wait for a reply but took off for the tunnel entrance. Karl gave Singe a concerned glance and then followed the older Lycan into the tunnels.

Singe avoided looking at Stefan's body as he walked the area carefully. He would always think of Stefan as the little boy who had gone running up to his father, laughing as he was lifted into the air and twirled by a grinning Anton. He pictured Gretal's face when she learned of her son's death and then pushed the thought away with a shudder. There had been so many deaths over the years but some always seemed harder to bear than others.

He finished examining the other bodies, not surprised to find no survivors. There were two more children among the dead but he hoped the majority of them had made it into the tunnels. He tried not to think of how many bodies might be in the burning buildings. Any dead vampires out here must have been carried away by their comrades or burned to ash when the sun came up. He hoped there had been a lot of dead Bloods but even if the Lycans had outnumbered them, they usually had the superior firepower.

In the hour after Anton and Karl went into the tunnels, both barns collapsed but a strong breeze kept the smoke from the main house blowing away from him. He was beginning to worry when Karl emerged from the tunnels leading a silent group of women and children. He counted twenty-seven but there was someone missing. Where was Anton?

"He's still looking through the tunnels but I don't think there's anyone else down there." Karl looked concerned. He didn't know what to do about Anton. The women had spread out, searching through the bodies for familiar faces. When they found them, some howled in grief while others merely crouched by the body, crying or staring at their loved ones face in disbelief.

Karl filled Singe in on what had happened. According to the survivors, the vampires had hit about two hours before dawn. The guards were vigilant but the closer it was to dawn, the more relaxed they were likely to be. It had been so long since the vampires had found any of the Sanctuaries that they were perhaps more lax than they should have been.

There had been a dozen of the vampires but they had hit the houses first with explosives, trapping many of the Lycans inside. Those that had tried to make a run for the tunnels across the lawn had been cut down. The Bloods had fired from the cover of the trees, not letting any Lycan get too close to their positions. The survivors had been those who were close enough to make it to the entrances either from inside the buildings or those on the grounds while the guards had sacrificed themselves to give them time to run.

The Lycans had killed those that had gone into the tunnels after them but the rest had learned from that and sealed every entrance they could find with silver. Karl had used one of the few they'd missed. By every estimate, three-fourths of the Lycans here had been killed. The survivors would probably be assigned to various other Sanctuaries and scattered all over Europe. This place would be abandoned forever. They never returned to a site that the vampires had discovered.

Karl returned to the tunnels twice more to check for more survivors and to find Anton but there was no sign of either. It was mid afternoon before they had to admit defeat and leave. There was a garage on the far end of the property that the vampires hadn't discovered. They divided the survivors among the cars and headed north.

Lucian had been livid when Karl called and told him what had happened. He wasn't angry at them but at the vampires for destroying the Sanctuary. Usually, an operation of that magnitude required planning beforehand which meant that Kraven should have been aware of it and informed Lucian. They would have evacuated the non-combatants and the warriors left behind to take on the vampires would have been more prepared. It was why none of the Sanctuaries had been found in nearly a century, ever since the invention of the telephone had made it easier for Kraven to contact them.

About Anton's disappearance, Lucian would only say to keep an eye out for him and let Lucian himself deal with it. Their job now was to ferry the survivors to someplace safe. The Bloods might be on their trail, looking for survivors so they had to be careful.

The next week was tense as they traveled to a few touchpoint areas, leaving a handful of survivors at each. Not all of the Sanctuaries were large compounds. Some were small areas where a handful of families lived among the humans taking great pains not to attract notice. The survivors from the destroyed Sanctuary would end up in a dozen different places, shuffled into the scattered population of Lycans. Every extra person meant a greater chance of discovery if someone said or did something that attracted notice but none of them would turn their back on Pack members.

It wasn't until Karl and Singe met back up with Lucian near Ankara that they learned the full story. The attack had been carried out by an ambitious vampire who wanted to make a name for himself in the war against the Lycans. He'd learned the location from a tortured Lycan captive and hadn't informed the main coven of the attack because he wanted to get all the credit. He was boasting about the great blow he'd struck against the Lycans by taking out one of their hiding places. Singe thought of the dead children and had to fight the urge to hunt the Blood down and rip his bloodless heart right out of his chest.

That had already been arranged in a way. Kraven couldn't punish the vampire for the attack but he could punish him for ignoring the chain of command. Those involved in organizing the attack had been sent on a "secret" mission by Kraven's orders, supposedly as a reward for their actions. Their Lycan-ravaged bodies had just recently been discovered by their coven. All blame for their deaths went to the Lycans and Lucian considered justice to have been served.

Anton was another matter. There were scattered reports of him moving steadily towards Budapest, killing any vampire that he came across and making no attempt to hide his presence. Lucian theorized that Anton was on a suicide mission. In his grief, he'd decided to take out his pain on the Bloods and Ordoghaz was the center of their social structure. Destroying it would be a serious blow to the vampires.

Unfortunately, Lucian couldn't allow that. The vampires would never make peace with the Lycans if the mansion was destroyed by one of them. Lucian had already made plans to head off Anton and take him down before he did any more damage. The Bloods were on the look out for the lone, rampaging Lycan who had already killed a dozen of them.

Singe didn't know all of the details but Anton had been captured, subdued, and brought before Lucian for judgment. He had endangered all of them by riling up the Bloods which had led the vampires to hunt the Lycans with even more fervor. At least five Pack members had been killed because of the stepped-up campaign against them.

Normally, the sentence for treason was death. Gretal and her remaining son had made a personal plea for her husband's life. Singe had added his own plea for leniency. Lucian had been as merciful as possible by sentencing Anton to guard Tanis instead of killing him outright. It was the pleas of Anton's family and friends coupled with his own friendship with his third-in-command that had caused Lucian to choose this as Anton's punishment.

And now, here was Anton sitting captive, kept in his Lycan shape by drugs developed by the vampires and forced to guard the life of another one. Singe wondered if Anton would be able to forgive them after all these years. He wondered if Anton would have preferred death to all of this. But his wife and son were still alive. If he rejoined Lucian, he could be reunited with them and work for peace as he'd once done.

"You will return to your den. Don't attack anyone else who comes here unless they are armed or I order you to do so. Once the drugs are out of your system, we will talk about your futures. Is that understood?"

The huge furry heads all nodded and then they slunk back to the underground lair to wait for the drugs to wear off. Their usual daily dose would take at least a day to wear off which meant that Lucian intended to be here at least that long. Singe cast another anxious look at the sky. There was no sign of Marcus but the sense of being watched was even stronger.

"Let's go inside, shall we?" Lucian led the way as the group entered the forbidding building.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The fortress smelled of dampness and decay. The scent of Lycans was there from the four guards but it was overlaid by the scent of vampires. Following behind Raze, it took a moment for Singe to realize that there was the scent of two female vampires as well as Tanis's own.

Tanis was supposed to be in exile. Was someone visiting him frequently enough for their scent to permuate the halls or had he turned some hapless women from the near-by town? Lucian had visited Tanis much more recently than Singe but he'd made no mention of extra vampires in the keep. Even Singe didn't know everything, especially if it had no bearing on his research, but the idea that there were more vampires here than just Tanis made him uneasy.

They were walking through halls that looked empty and lifeless. A lazy thief who dared to break in might give up if he stuck to the first floor. It gave every indication of being a run-down, uninhabited ruin. That was part of Tanis's defenses although there were also more modern security systems including motion detectors and cameras. The scholar had to know they were here but if he was watching them, he was likely scared and confused about the large group heading for his quarters.

Lucian never took more than one or two others with him when he visited. The less the Pack knew about their vampire connection, the less they could give away if captured. But now Lucian strode in front of a group consisting of three other Lycans, two vampires, and Michael who would probably confuse any of Tanis's sensors. On infrared detectors, Lycans were much easier to see than Bloods. Their high body temperatures made them appear to glow in infrared whereas Bloods, although not the undead of legend, were a duller red. Singe had no idea whether Michael or Lucian would appear as vampire, Lycan or something else to Tanis.

Lucian led the way upstairs to a scarred wooden door that looked like it could fall off its rusted hinges at any moment. He pulled a key from the pocket of his long coat and unlocked the door. Behind it was a thick steel door that even a Lycan or Blood wouldn't be able to break down without a lot of effort. Lucian typed in a six-digit code on the keypad next to the door and there was the sound of bolts unlocking. The door opened inward and they followed the alpha into Tanis's chamber.

In stark contrast to the lower floor, the large chamber inside was richly decorated with tapestries that covered the walls and a thick carpet that helped ward away the cold. The large bed in one corner had silk sheets and there was the glitter of gold and crystal from the chandelier above.

There was one large bookshelf filled with old books but Singe knew from his previous visit that most of the books Tanis had taken with him were in an adjoining room that was clean and temperature-controlled. Many of the books in his collection were hundreds of years old and had been made long before Guttenberg's invention of the printing press.

As much as he disliked the vampire, he did have a grudging respect for the effort Tanis put towards preserving his collection. He'd had to smuggle the majority of them out when he was banished as Viktor would have prefered to burn them rather than chance anyone finding out about the true origins of the Bloods and Lycans. He wanted them all to think that he was the first, the most powerful of Bloods whom all the others owed their very existance to. If it wasn't for a handful of sympathizers helping Tanis remove the "forbidden" books, they would have been lost long ago.

Tanis was waiting for them by the video screen monitors that must have shown him who was coming to visit him. The vampire was trying to appear calm but all of them could smell the fear on him. He tried to face Lucian, the obvious leader of the oddly-mixed group, but his gaze kept sliding to Selene despite himself.

"Hello, Tanis. I see exile has agreed with you."

"Selene. What an...unexpected pleasure. I never thought you'd join Lucian's side. I take it the plan worked?" The vampire librarian looked expectantly at Lucian.

"Viktor and Amelia are dead but there were complications. We need to talk quickly before your next visitor gets here. Or has Marcus already arrived?"

"Lord Marcus is coming here? What did you tell him? What were you thinking leading him to me?" Tanis' pale face lost all color and his hands clutched the edge of the table as though his knees were giving way and that was the only thing holding him up. The historian looked terrified and Singe couldn't blame him. He wasn't looking forward to meeting Marcus face to face either.

"Marcus is a hybrid now as am I. This is Michael Corvin, Alexander's descendant and another hybrid. Marcus claims he wants to help make peace between the species in exchange for the rescue of his brother William. He claimed you have information he needs and we agreed to meet him here. I take it you haven't seen any sign of him yet?"

"No, but...William? You can't release that monster! He'll kill anyone who gets in his way and..." There was movement on one of the monitors and he spun around to take a look at it. It was too dark outside to see anything clearly but the glow of a large, winged creature was visible on the infrared sensors. "He's here. He's on the roof."

"Then perhaps you should let him in." Lucian was completely calm even though he was about to meet Marcus in person. Tanis looked torn between anger and fear.

"Are you mad? He'll kill all of us. I don't care what sort of understanding you have with Marcus. I never agreed to this."

"Stop being such a damn coward or I'll kill you myself. Marcus is here to talk and nothing more." Selene didn't have the patience that Lucian did and Tanis looked helplessly at each of them, hoping for an ally. Singe was careful to keep his face neutral and Erika was the only one who looked outright scared but it was obvious to Tanis she wasn't going to be any help. His shoulders slumped in defeat as he punched in the code to unlock the door to the roof.

"I hope you're right about this, Lucian, or we're all dead."

"Just keep your two 'friends' away. They might say the wrong thing and upset him." Tanis's eyes flickered towards the back room and then he nodded. So Lucian did know about the two female vampires whose scent was all over the building. That was mildly comforting to Singe as any unknown quantity might change Lucian's plan and put them all in more danger than they already were in.

They all waited as Marcus descended the staircase from the roof. Raze and Karl had moved to flank Lucian, one on either side but about a foot behind him. Anything more and they might imply that Lucian couldn't handle himself in a fight.

Selene stood slightly apart and abreast of Lucian with Michael at her side and Erika and Tanis both taking refuge behind her. In some ways, she was a leader as well with her own followers. If the Bloods rejected Marcus due to his hybrid nature, Selene might be a worthwhile substitute. She already had the instincts of a leader including being protective of those weaker than her.

Singe stood near Raze and tried to control the fear that was making his heart beat just a little faster than normal. It wasn't easy but no one could blame him for being a little nervous. Marcus might have asked for this meeting but there was no guarantee he wouldn't attack them all on sight.

He needed Singe, Selene, and perhaps Tanis alive in order to free William but the rest of them were expendable. When the door opened and Marcus stepped through, Singe managed to keep calm even as those dark eyes swept over him with an amused glance. The hybrid Elder studied each of them wordlessly. He seemed to dismiss Raze, Karl, and Erika immediately as being unimportant.

"I'm impressed Lucian. I thought for a moment that you would flee or attempt to attack me on sight. And yet here you are, with all your dogs in hand and you allowed me to enter unchallenged."

If Lucian was upset by the insinuation that he was a coward or underhanded, he didn't show it. Raze growled softly at the implied insult but Marcus never so much as looked at the beta wolf. Singe struggled to remain calm. Marcus didn't sound like he wanted a truce. Instead, he sounded as though he was trying to provoke Lucian.

"I am a man of my word. The question is, are you?" Marcus grinned at Lucian's question and the light of madness gleamed for a moment in his eyes. The tension was stifling and Singe could hear Tanis's muffled whimper to his right.

"Well, Viktor certainly found out that you were a man of your word. It took you centuries of planning to get your revenge but you succeeded where I failed. I need that kind of dedication on my side. I swear on my brother's life that I mean you and your friends no harm." With that, Marcus gave a deep bow to the former slave and suddenly Lucian relaxed and the tension dissipated, at least to a more bearable level.

"Shall we sit and talk?" Lucian gestured to the long wooden table in the center of the room. Marcus nodded and took up a position at one end with Lucian at the other. Selene, Michael, Singe, and Tanis sat in the chairs nearest Lucian leaving a wide space between them and Marcus. Raze and Karl remained standing behind Lucian while Erika sat in a chair behind them.

"I understand that you have questions about William and what his rescue would entail and I am prepared to answer them."

"Very well. Why do you think that becoming a hybrid will help William?"

Marcus looked startled as though he hadn't expected that particular question. In his one-track mind, it was obvious that William could be helped and the only question was "how" and not "why."

"Vampires are not rampaging, mindless beasts as the early Lycans were. If he were made a hybrid, I believe the vampire blood would allow his mind to conquer the beast within."

"Vampires are not automatically kind, gentle souls either. What if becoming a hybrid doesn't help him regain his humanity? What will you do then?"

Everyone waited for Marcus to answer. He looked calmer then they would have thought at the question. It was quite clear that Lucian was suggesting the idea might fail and that William might be beyond help.

"If it does not work, then we will try something else. Your scientist is an expert in Lycan genetics. I'm sure he can figure something out."

Singe didn't like the possessive look that Marcus sent him. It was as though the scientist was just a tool he could use in his quest to free William.

"There is no cure for lycanthropy. There is no way for William to become human again."

"You may be old by your species's count but I've been around longer than you. There are other possibilities out there. And if you and your followers can be Lycans with human sensibilities, then there must be a way for William to achieve the same state. I am not asking you to devote a century to help me. I'm simply asking for your cooperation for now."

"I have agreed to help but I want you to understand that we may not succeed. Your brother may be beyond help."

For a moment, there was a very frightening look on Marcus's face as he seemed to be ready to fly into a rage. And then, it was gone again and he actually smiled.

"I never expected such defeatist talk from you of all people, Lucian. You sound like Viktor now. We will find a way. I'm sure of it."

All of them managed to refrain from reacting to the unwavering certainty in Marcus's voice. Confidence was important in any leader but there had to be realism in an idea as well. Singe had a sinking feeling that Marcus would not take failure well.

"We'll see, Marcus. What are your plans exactly? Time is of the essence right now. We both know the other covens will react badly to the destruction of Ordoghaz and the other Elders. If you could negotiate with the remaining Regents, it would help to defuse the situation. It will be much harder to help William if we are in the middle of a full-blown war."

"I understand that but at the same time, I'm not willing to put this search off any longer. My brother has suffered enough. It's time he was free and whole once again."

"I'm only asking for a few days. Who would try to take command once word gets out? If you could contact a few of them and assert your authority over them, it would help."

"I have been asleep for two centuries and I was not given the proper blood-memories when I awoke." Marcus gave a brief glare at Singe who managed not to react. "I'm unsure of the current power structure among the Bloods.

Perhaps Selene could appraise us?"

They all turned to Selene expectantly. Singe knew that almost every major city in the world had a small coven in place that answered to Ordoghaz but still had some degree of autonomy. Some were larger than others and there was a chance that some might try to seize power for themselves if no other leader was apparent.

That might mean that the vampires would dissolve into squabbling factors which would be beneficial for the Lycans. If the Bloods were at each others throats, they would have less time and resources to dedicate to the war against the Lycans. But it wouldn't last. Eventually, a leader or leaders would emerge and then they would go back to wiping out their hated cousins.

"Alistair of the London Coven would definately try to take over. He's always craved more power. There's also Reginald in Chicago, Millicent in Rio de Janeiro, Ivan in Moscow, and Ryu in Tokyo. They're the ones I believe would be the most likely to try and take command. Most of the smaller covens will go along with any strong leader. They know they don't have the resources to go it on their own."

"Alistair is a coward. He'd back down in a second if he felt threatened. None of the others are much of a worry either. The coven has degraded so much over the centuries thanks to Viktor. He was always so quick to suppress any strong opponent that he left the covens without any real leaders, only lapdogs and cretins. I suppose I should thank him though. It makes everything so much easier without any real opposition."

Selene obviously disliked his assessment of her fellow vampires. Her eyes narrowed and she gave Marcus a cold look. She might disdain the more shallow members of Ordoghaz but they hadn't deserved to die like that in her opinion. And she knew many vampires who were quite capable warriors besides herself. Singe knew of most of the vampires that Selene had named and they were all considered quite formidable and dangerous by the Lycans. But they needed Marcus, at least to some degree, so he hoped Selene could keep her mouth shut.

To everyone's relief, the former Death Dealer managed to keep quiet although it was obviously an effort on her part. Marcus merely smiled at her as though he were impressed that she hadn't taken the bait. Singe was pretty sure that that was exactly what it had been. Marcus may need their help but he had spent centuries having to be careful what he said to avoid Viktor's wrath. These careful little digs were the extent of his rebelliousness and obviously it was a hard habit to break.

"I believe we should come to a formal agreement as to what we expect of each other. That way there will be no misunderstandings later. Do you agree?" Lucian's question brought their attention back to him.

"Are you a lawyer now? Are we not men of honor? I suppose we can have Tanis write some sort of pact up if you like but I find it a bit insulting."

Lucian leaned forward in his seat, his leather coat creaking softly as he moved. The expression on his face made everyone tense again.

"Let me be blunt, Marcus. I need to know the full extent of what you expect from us. I've agreed to help try and free William but there are limits to what I'm willing to do, especially if you're not willing to make concessions on your part as well. So far all I've heard is what you need from us. I've explained what I need from you and you seem intent on avoiding a commitment. Are you willing to help make peace or should I end this alliance right now?"

Everyone held their breath. Would Marcus take offense and attack them all?

Instead, Marcus laughed and thumped a hand on the table, making Singe and Tanis both jump a little.

"Viktor never stood a chance against you, did he?"

"No, he didn't."

"Before I sign anything, I'd like to hear how much Tanis actually knows." Marcus turned his attention to the historian who blinked and nervously licked his lips before answering him.

"I don't know where William or Alexander Corvinus are but I do know that Lucian's pendant is one of two components that are necessary to make the key. Viktor kept the other one hidden but I don't know it's whereabouts either."

"I know where it is. I intend to retrieve it later. What do you know about the early Lycans?"

"They were animals, unable to revert to human form and not possessed of human intelligence. The virus must have been stronger then because it could activate even in corpses. William would attack a village, slaughter everyone in his madness, and then the bodies would arise after a period of time as mindless beasts."

"How did the later Lycans achieve human form?"

"I don't know. As far as I know, no one ever looked into it too deeply. The Lycans were just slaves and no one thought too much about how they had come about. Viktor likely didn't want them to wonder either. I assume he suppressed any attempts to study the issue. I always assumed the virus mutated again to a less potent version."

Singe thought this was an interesting possibility. It would explain why the earlier Lycans were so primitive compared to the ones of Lucian's time. But why had the Lycan strain started out that way and then changed when the Bloods had remained the same since the beginning? There was little physical difference between the pre-hybrid Marcus and a more recent vampire like Erika.

Was there something different about William that caused the variation or were the differences caused by the different animal strains they had been exposed to? Wolves and bats might not look the same but they were both predatory mammals. He wondered idly if some aspect of William and Marcus's own personalities had influenced their mutated form.

European bats didn't drink blood. It had never made sense to him that a bite from a bat would cause vampires to crave blood and be allergic to sunlight. Perhaps, it had been Marcus's own bloodthirsty personality that had combined with other genetic aspects to create the vampire strain.

Lycans were more straightforward. They had the instincts of wolves to live in packs and to hunt. Their ability to shift was both genetic and also a matter of willpower. The stronger the Lycan, the more control they had over the Change. Perhaps their evolution from mindless animals to actual werewolves was the result of a lesser strain or perhaps some early Lycan had had enough force of mind and willpower to bring him or herself back to a human form.

Of course, Singe would never confess any of these theories in Marcus's presence. They might imply that he was a monster and his twin too weak to make the Change. Still, it made the idea of studying William even more interesting despite his misgivings about what Marcus really wanted from him.

"Very well, Lucian. I agree that I will help you and you may have it in writing if you prefer it that way."

Everything seemed to go more smoothly after that. Lucian and Marcus directed Tanis to write up a formal contract. The historian did as he was told but he kept a careful distance from Marcus as he scurried around the room, gathering pen and paper and then settling back down to write.

After a brief haggle, Lucain spelled out the terms of their assistance. Lucian and those present would help to find and free William but he would not get any more of the Pack involved. They needed to keep this a small covert mission if it was to succeed. According to Marcus, there were still vampires guarding William's prison. If they got word of what Marcus was planning, they might do something drastic including killing William. Viktor had insuniated to Marcus that if he ever even tried to find his brother, there would be dire consequences for both of them.

Marcus pledged to do everything in his power to achieve peace between the Bloods and the Lycans. He also pledged not to harm any of them or any other Lycan or Blood unless it was necessary for self-defense. They couldn't afford for him to just kill anyone who offended him so Lucian had to emphasize that it applied to the vampires as well.

Lucian had pledged that Singe would help to find a cure for William. However, there was a time limit. From the time they found William, Singe would devote one year to finding a cure that would return William to human form again either as a hybrid or Lycan. If by that time, he was unsuccessful, Lucian and Marcus would discuss the terms again which might include giving up if Singe thought it was impossible.

The biochemist didn't like the idea of working with Marcus for that long. He still believed that Marcus would never let him quit and might very well kill him if he thought Singe was no longer useful to him but it was important to the Pack's survival to achieve peace so he agreed to the terms.

The contract was signed by all of them except Erika and Karl. Karl was simply there as a bodyguard and would obey whatever decision Lucian came up with. Erika was seen by all of them as merely a stray who would defer to Selene or possibly Marcus and whose presence was unnecessary. That left it to the seven of them to sign the pact that would hopefully lead to real peace between the two immortal races.

Singe was the last to sign. He wrote his name in neatly precise handwriting and with that the pact became official. It felt oddly as though everything had changed even though he had no illusions that Marcus would abide by mere words on paper. Still, it felt as though progress had been made.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The sun was on the verge of rising when Singe padded through the corridors of the fortress, looking for one person in particular. Lucian had indicated they would be there for at least three or four days while he and Marcus got everything into place. So the scientist had decided now would be a good time to do the tests he'd been thinking about for the past two days.

He found Michael Corvin sitting in the kitchen, contemplating the glass of blood in front of him. It was the first time Singe had seen him without Selene by his side. It would make things easier without her being around. The young man looked lost but the scent coming off of him indicated he was angry rather than depressed. Singe didn't think that anger was directed at him but he approached with caution.

"Are you all right, Michael?" It wouldn't do much good to just blurt out his reason for being here but he was a little concerned. The past few days had been chaotic but all of them, even Erika as sheltered as she was, had been a part of this war for a long time. They'd learned to roll with the punches and take everything in stride.

But Michael was in over his head. He was struggling with his feelings for Selene who he barely knew and the idea that he was now an immortal hybrid of two creatures he hadn't even known existed a week ago. Singe wasn't a psychiatrist and he'd never had much patience for other's problems. But he needed to know that Michael could handle everything without becoming a liability.

Michael gave him a long look as though he were trying to decide if Singe was genuinely concerned and then he picked the glass up and drained it's contents in one long gulp. When he was done, he gagged a few times but also licked his lips clean.

"I'm sitting in a freaking fortress, drinking blood and talking to a werewolf. That doesn't sound all right to me."

"You'll get used to it. We all did. I'm glad to see you are finally drinking blood."

"Selene asked me to try it. It's synthetic not human. If I drink human blood, do I see their memories like I did with Lucian's blood?" He sounded pissed as yet another strange possibility about his new life occurred to him.

"No. It only happens with Lycan or vampire blood and only if the memories are strong enough." Singe took a seat across from Michael as he realized this was going to take a little longer than he'd thought. "Is there anything else you wish to know? I can answer any of your questions."

"Selene's already answered a lot of them."

"She is not a scientist and I have no doubt that some of her answers were biased."

"And yours wouldn't be?" Michael retorted.

"Perhaps. But I guarantee I know more than Selene about the biology of our two species."

"All of this seems so impossible from a biological standpoint. I can maybe grasp the idea of vampires as a form of mutation but shapeshifting should be impossible."

"And yet, you've done it. How did you feel when you shifted?"

"It hurt too much to really think about it. I remember my bones bending and my skin crawling but that's all."

"Shapeshifting is a very odd process even to me but it's found in nature. Just look at the difference between the caterpillar and the butterfly."

"Yeah, but that happens over a period of time and the butterfly never goes back to being a caterpillar."

"True but the virus accelerates everything. Your heart is beating faster than a human, your respiration is quicker, and your senses are sharper. They're all a side effect of the change in your biology."

"Was there something in particular you wanted or did you just come to lecture me about change?" Michael gave him another sour look as he slowly rolled the empty glass between his fingers.

"Yes, I was looking for you for a reason. I'd like to take some samples from you so I can study the full effects of the hybridization. It would be beneficial to my research."

"No. I'm sick of being treated like a guinea pig. Go ask Lucian or Marcus for samples."

"Lucian and Marcus have already agreed to provide samples but I would like to compare the differences between the three of you." He was quite glad that Lucian had been the one to ask Marcus to provide the blood, tissue, and urine samples. Otherwise the Elder might have taken offense at the idea. But after hearing that the research might benefit William as well, he'd agreed. There was only Michael's consent to get and he hoped the young man would see reason and cooperate.

"That should be enough. I don't see any reason why I should give you anything."

"I would hate to think that my relation is a coward and a boor but it appears to be so." They both tensed and turned to look at Marcus where he stood in the doorway, blocking the only means of escape and looking at them in a predatory manner.

"Just the two people I wish to speak with. How fortunate." Marcus took a few steps into the room but he was still effectively blocking them in as it was unlikely either of them could make it past him to leave if they wanted to. "Michael Corvin, I greet you as an uncle many times removed. And Dr. Johan Zweig, even though it was not your intent, I thank you for the added power your blood has given to me."

It had been decades since Singe had heard his real name spoken out loud. It was bizarre to hear it now from Marcus. Why was he here now and where was Lucian? He knew Marcus wouldn't kill him but the hybrid was still far too intimidating and it put him on edge.

"You're welcome."

"In some ways, it almost makes you a father to me since it was your blood that caused me to be born in this new form. Of course, my original father was not worthy of my respect. Perhaps you can do a better job than he ever did by bringing William back to his humanity."

This whole conversation was just too insane for him. He didn't want Marcus to think of him as a father, even jokingly. But it did remind him that he had a lot of questions about Alexander Corvinus. If he was alone, he might not have dared to ask them but with Michael present, maybe he could risk it.

"Is your father still alive then? I've never been able to find any evidence of his whereabouts."

"If I knew his whereabouts, he would no longer be among the living but like any rat, he long ago found some dark hole to hide in and preserve his miserable existence."

There didn't seem to be any safe reply he could make to that so he kept quiet. Michael wasn't as inclined to sit in silence.

"So what was your younger brother like?" Marcus gave him a confused look and then realized what he'd been asked.

"You mean, Thomas, your ancestor? He was timid and far too agreeable. I believe the modern term to describe him would be 'ass-kisser.' He did whatever Father told him without question or complaint. I would hate to think you inherited any of his traits. There is a very slight resemblance although the bloodline has been watered down over the years."

Michael growled low in a very Lycan sort of way. That was twice now that Marcus had insinuated that Michael was a coward. Obviously the young man wasn't too happy with his "uncle's" treatment of him.

"I suppose I should be more like you, a murderer?"

"A warrior should understand that killing is necessary at times. I destroyed my enemies because they stood in the way of my goals. It would have been folly to let them live."

"I'm a doctor. I save lives. I don't take them."

"Then you're going to be in trouble. Make no mistake; there will be plenty more times in the coming years where killing will be necessary. If you think you can live in our world and remain neutral, then you're a fool. The war won't end overnight. Or perhaps you'd prefer to hide behind Selene's skirts?"

"Actually, I don't wear skirts." Selene said from behind Marcus. Her voice was calm as she pushed past him and went to sit by Michael.

"This is a private conversation, Selene. Or do you think that Michael needs to be protected from me?"

"I think if you're looking for an excuse to fight someone, it should be someone who actually likes to fight." The vampire ignored the irritated look that Michael sent her and instead turned to Singe. "Lucian is looking for you."

Singe got up and walked carefully towards the door, trying to ignore the posturing between the other three. He'd seen enough dominance fights to know what was going on here. Selene had agreed to help the peace process but she didn't want Marcus to think he could bully the others around. She was done with Lords and Elders and their foolishness.

And like it or not, Michael did need protecting. He might be strong as a hybrid but he didn't fully understand the mental games that Marcus was using to test all of them and their conviction. Marcus wasn't inclined to trust any of them completely, especially those he knew nothing about like Michael. He wanted to see what kind of man his brother's descendant really was.

As Singe neared the door, Marcus moved to block his path. The Lycan scientist stopped and met Marcus's eyes for a moment. There was amusement there in his gaze. It would be easier for him to play mind games on someone whose memories he shared. It was disconcerting to think that this monster had access to his most private thoughts and memories.

"We will take later, doctor. I have certain questions I would prefer to ask in private." Although his voice was pleasant and his expression more amused than anything, Singe couldn't help but feel threatened by the larger man. As soon as Marcus moved aside, Singe sidled past him and went to find Lucian.

He found his alpha sitting in the main room with Raze. There was no one else around and Lucian had a very serious look on his face. Singe made sure the door was closed behind him as he approached the two.

"You wanted to see me Lucian?"

"Yes, the four guards should be Changing back soon as the drug wears off. I want you to be there with me in case there are any problems." No one knew what the long-term effects of the Thalasine drug might be. The vampires had developed it to keep Lycans in their animal form for study but Singe had no way of knowing what its long-term effects might be.

After their decades of exposure, would all of the Lycans be able to shift back? And what would happen if they couldn't regain their human shape? Perhaps they would go mad and try their best to kill Lucian and the others.

"Of course. I will be glad to help." Assisting Lucian with this would allow him to take his mind off the problem of Marcus for a few moments. The hybrid worried him more than anything else.

"There's one more thing. Here, now, with no one else around, I want you to tell me truthfully if you think there's any chance of fixing William or not." Lucian's voice had the commanding edge that he got when he was particularly dedicated to a course of action. It made Singe shiver just a little. He didn't want to let his leader down.

"Yes, it's possible. I certainly can't rule it out. It will be interesting to study William's genes." He was telling the truth. It was certainly a possibility that he would be able to help William in some way. He hoped he could if for no other reason than to appease Marcus. But there was also a sense of pity for what the Lycan had endured. William represented every Lycan who had been chained up and abused over the centuries.

"Good. I'm pleased to hear that. Meet us in the dungeon in an hour." That was obviously a dismissal and Singe nodded and left for the room he'd been given for his stay. There were a few supplies he needed to get together. He wished there was time to take a nap but it wouldn't do to be late.

An hour later, he met Lucian, Raze, Karl, and Dmitri at the entrance to the underground tunnels that housed the Lycan guards. Lucian led the way to an inner chamber that had tunnels branching off in four directions. In the round room were the four Lycans, still chained to the wall. They were all still in Lycan form but their eyes were alert as they watched the men approach.

"We will remove your chains one by one and you will try to Change back. If you don't succeed on the first attempt, we may just need to wait a little longer." The four captives nodded and Raze came forward with a key to unlock Stan who had been there the shortest amount of time, only nine years.

The younger Lycan seemed to shrink as soon as the chains were removed. He became human again relatively quickly although he staggered and nearly collapsed at the unfamiliar sensation. Dmitri helped to steady him and then led him over to Lucian. Stanislaus sat against the wall as Singe examined him.

"He is exhausted but he seems fine otherwise. I can't say whether there will be side affects just yet." Lucian nodded and instructed Karl to bring the shaken young man to one of the chambers they'd prepared where he could eat his full and sleep off the lingering effects of the drug. Karl would stand guard over him. Lucian still didn't trust the captives and they were to be kept under guard until they'd proved themselves.

Bela was next. Muscles rippled as he tried to Change. It took him several minutes before he suddenly managed, only to fall to the floor as his limbs betrayed him. Dmitri helped him up and Singe examined him and found him in the same condition. Apparently, shifting after so many years was difficult which made him wonder how they were ever going to succeed with William.

Dmitri led Bela off to a separate room to recover. Singe thought that Anton would be next as he'd been here twenty-two years to Henryk's thirty-four but Lucian motioned Raze to release Henryk first. Raze gave his alpha a questioning look but an irritated glare made him hasten to obey.

When he was released from the chains, Bela attempted to shift back as he'd seen the others do but nothing happened. For ten minutes, Lucian watched impassively as the massive Lycan strained muscles in a desperate attempt to regain human form. As the time passed, he began to look panicked and Singe resisted the urge to step back from the panting, whining Lycan. At last Lucian spoke up.

"I thought you might have trouble, Henryk. It's likely you'll just need more time for the drugs to wear off. You've been on them for a very long time. But I wish to speak to Anton privately. You are to go with Raze and do what he says. The doctor and I will check on you later. Is that understood?"

Henryk nodded although he didn't look convinced. Foam flecked his jaws and his breathing was harsh in the confined space. Raze gave the keys back to Lucian and led the scared werewolf out. Singe moved to follow him, assuming Lucian intended to hold his conversation alone but Lucian laid a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Stay, old friend. I think we'd both like to say hello." As Singe watched, Lucian stepped forward and unlocked the chains that bound Anton. As they were released, he simply stood there unmoving.

"I'm sure you're still angry at me, Anton. I'm not going to ask for your forgiveness and frankly, I don't think I need to be forgiven. You're alive and your wife and son are alive. You have a granddaughter now, did I ever tell you that? She'll be two in a few months. You can be with your family again. I only need to know that you won't do anything reckless anymore. Can I be sure of that?"

The Lycan shuddered and then the monstrous form melted away until there was just the naked, blond man who lay panting on the floor and glaring at the both of them. It reminded Singe of that moment over fifty years ago when he'd first seen the Change from this same man.

"I'm calmer now, Lucian. But that doesn't mean it was right. There were plenty of days where I though it would be better if you'd killed me rather than leave me here, chained like a dog, forced to eat scraps and guard that arrogant bastard."

"I don't think Greta or Andre would agree. They'll be happy to hear you're free."

Anton took a shaky breath and then looked away. He pushed himself into a sitting position with his back against the wall.

"How are they? And my granddaughter? What's her name?"

"They're well. Your granddaughter's name is Antonia. I'm sure she'll be happy to meet her grandfather. Andre has told her many stories about you, your honesty and courage. Don't make him a liar by continuing your crusade against the Bloods."

"Ordoghaz is gone. Amelia and Viktor are dead. I think that's good enough." Anton carefully got to his feet despite the exhaustion that was plain to see and faced Lucian directly. "I want to be a part of the Pack again. I want to help you bring about peace. I don't want my granddaughter to ever be at risk from the Bloods."

"That's what I needed to hear. Welcome back, Anton." Lucian strode forward smiling to embrace the Lycan. He helped Anton over to Singe.

"Hey doc, it's good to see you again." He gave Singe a rather wan smile but it was nice to see him again under any circumstances.

"And you, mein freund." He did a quick exam but found nothing wrong with him other than tiredness. He'd like to take a blood sample from each of them later and see if there were any lingering effects but for now it was enough to follow Lucian and Anton from the cold, stinking place that had been his prison for two decades.

The vampires made themselves scarce during the day. Lucian had dismissed him to talk to Anton some more so Singe went off to take a nap. When he awoke, it was late afternoon. He went and checked on the four Lycans. Henryk had managed to Change back after more than an hour of trying and had promptly passed out. But like the other three, he was merely sleeping as his body purged itself of the last lingering effects of the drug.

The castle felt oddly deserted as he made his way to the main study. There was no one present which was exactly what he'd hoped for. Perusing the bookcase, he found the tome he was looking for on the very top shelf. The scientist needed to use a stepstool to reach it but then he carefully carried the thick book in his arms over to the long table where they'd signed the peace treaty the night before.

The book was a history of the Lycans and Bloods from the very beginning. He'd read it before but now, knowing so much more about William and Marcus, he found himself finding new details that interested him. The book was supposedly written as an eyewitness account by one of Viktor's men.

There were passages that he'd thought exaggerated for theatric purposes but now he wasn't so sure. According to the account of William's capture, it had taken an army of men and silver-tipped arrowheads and nets to take the first Lycan down. It had seemed unlikely to Singe that any Lycan, no matter how formidable, would be that hard to secure. Even Raze wouldn't be able to take the kind of beating that William had and still been able to defy his captors. That was why most of them had believed that William was dead. How could he still be alive after all those centuries of abuse?

The accounts of the bestial nature of those early Lycans was something else he'd attributed to bigotry and bias on the author's part. It was human nature to view one's enemies as lesser beings. It made killing them so much easier. But now Marcus and Tanis had both verified that it was true. It made him wonder what else he didn't know. One passage in particular made him read it carefully, translating it in his head from the original Latin, and weighing the truth of every sentence.

"The white beast roared its defiance as Lord Viktor's brave men surrounded it. Arrows studded the white fur, staining it red and pinning it to the ancient oak but still it fought. It was the Lady Amelia who shot the defining blow that took the monster down.

Bound in nets, the beast was secured in preparation for Lord Viktor's command. Lord Marcus was very vocal in his anger at the creature's treatment. He claimed it as a brother and spoke of mercy. Wisely, Lord Viktor and Lady Amelia did not heed his maddened words and made sure the Lycan was too weakened to escape."

That was interesting. He wondered if William had merely been a bargaining chip for Viktor and Amelia that allowed them to usurp Marcus' authority or if it had been Marcus's obsession with helping his brother at all costs that had turned the others against him. From what he'd read and heard, Marcus hadn't cared about the numerous villagers that William had slaughtered before he was captured. All his thoughts were on helping his twin.

He read further and pulled more books off the shelves, trying to figure out as much as he could. He didn't dare ask Marcus most of the questions he had in mind. The former vampire lord might take offense and while he probably wouldn't kill Singe, he could still do him bodily harm. Anyway, his answers were probably biased or too influenced by his own madness to be of much use.

It was late in the afternoon when he heard a scuffling noise at the door to the roof. Tanis had left it unlocked for Marcus to come and go when he wanted to. It was doubtful anyone else could enter from that route so there was no reason to leave it locked.

The door was flung open so hard that it was a wonder it didn't tear loose from it's hinges. Marcus stormed into the room in full hybrid mode, his wings opening and closing with his anger. His eyes were black and his teeth and claws were fully bared.

There was no time for Singe to run or hide. Instead, he froze in place knowing it was useless to expect Marcus not to notice him but unable to think clearly. Marcus screamed in rage and extended his wings out fully before folding them neatly against his back. His breath came in a raspy hiss as he turned to Singe.

"He took it! Even now, that bastard seeks to thwart me. His own son!"

Singe didn't fully understand what Marcus was upset about except to realize that it had something to do with Alexander Corvinus. A thousand thoughts and questions swarmed through his head but he wisely kept silent. Marcus stared at him for several tense minutes and then he smiled, a wide, disturbing smile that was far from reassuring.

"My dear doctor, how would you like to meet my father?"


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Singe stood stock-still, unable to reply as he tried to decide if Marcus was really serious. Alexander Corvinus was not only nearby but was somehow actively working against his son? Could it be true? And if he said "no" would Marcus simply abduct him and drag him off on whatever insane plan he had in mind?

"You expressed an interest in my father earlier, doctor. Are you going to turn down the chance to meet him now? I'm sure you have a lot of questions. Perhaps, I'll even let him answer some of them before I rip his heart out."

"What has he done?"

"He's stolen the other half of the key from Viktor's body. I don't know how he even knew about it but I have my suspicions."

"What is going on in here?" Tanis walked out of the side room with a frown. "Can't a man get some sleep...oh, Lord Marcus. I didn't realize it was you. Feel free to keep ranting. I'll just be going..." Marcus grabbed Tanis by the collar of his robe and threw him into the table.

"Useless little traitor. It was you, wasn't it? You were the only other one who could have known where the amulet was. How long have you been my father's lapdog?"

"What? I don't know what you're talking about. I've never met your father." Tanis was clearly frightened as he tried to back away on all fours from the enraged Marcus. Flexible wings stabbed down and pinned him to the floor.

"Enough! Explain yourself, Marcus." Lucian strode through the door with Raze at his heels and Singe breathed a sigh of relief. His alpha would know how to handle this.

"I went to retrieve the other half of the key from Viktor's corpse only to discover that it had been removed and the rest of the bodies burned. I found signs that my father's men had already been there but the amulet was the only thing taken and Viktor's body was the only one left untouched except for the key. He wanted me to know what he'd done. Almost no one knew its whereabouts so someone had to have told him where to find it. Namely this vermin." He hissed in anger at Tanis who cowered away.

"I swear, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Let him go, Marcus. I don't believe he knows anything about this."

"There's a very easy way to find out for sure." Marcus bared his elongated fangs and moved towards the trapped librarian. At a nod from Lucian, Raze went around to the other side of the room. If they needed to attack Marcus, they would do so from both sides.

"I won't let you kill him, Marcus. We have a deal."

"I'm not going to kill him. I only need a little bit of blood to see the truth." Lucian considered this.

"You can taste his blood if you need to to prove whether he's a traitor or not, but if you kill him, our deal is off."

Tanis had obviously expected Lucian to forbid the attack and the Lycan's agreement took him by surprise. Marcus looked pleased. The younger vampire struggled to get away but there was no escaping Marcus's grip on him. He gasped audibly as Marcus bit into the side of his neck and then went limp as he was fed upon. Marcus dropped him and licked the blood off his lips with a disgusted expression. Tanis was still alive although he looked pale and sickly so Marcus had kept his word for now.

"He's lying in part. While he hasn't met my father in person, he has had dealings with him in the past and he has ways of contacting him. But there's more. He doesn't want William to be freed and was planning on trying to stop me from saving him." That last was said in a menacing growl as Marcus glared at the half-conscious vampire.

"Can you blame him? He knows how much damage your brother did in the past and I doubt he has any confidence in the possibility of a cure."

"Are you defending him? He's working against us and he was considering whether to inform my father of our plans. I should just kill him now and be done with it."

"No. I need him alive. He's still a useful source of knowledge. Now, why don't we get Selene and Michael and then you can explain what you've learned from his blood memories."

Lucian's calm, rational suggestion actually seemed to startle Marcus into calming down. He folded his wings and shifted back into his human form as he agreed. Lucian sent Raze to collect the others while he had Singe check Tanis's condition. He wasn't foolish enough to trust Marcus alone with the weakened vampire. Tanis would need to drink quite a bit of blood to recover but it wasn't as though he were in danger of dying.

When Raze returned with Selene and Michael, he was surprisingly also followed by Anton. The blond Lycan looked nearly recovered from his decades of forced Change. There were a few lines of fatigue on his face but that was it. He gave Selene a wide berth but ignored her otherwise. It was a good sign that he hadn't tried to kill her on sight.

Lucian helped Tanis to his feet and guided him to a chair. By doing so, he was sending Marcus a clear message that the vampire was under his protection. Lucian wouldn't hesitate to kill him if he thought it necessary or justified but until then, he wouldn't allow Marcus to harm him any further.

"What's this about, Lucian? Raze told us that something happened with Tanis but he didn't say what it was." Selene frowned at the sight of Tanis's wan appearance.

"It appears that Andreas was holding out on us." Marcus said smoothly. Perhaps he was hoping that if Selene felt betrayed, she'd kill Tanis herself. "He is an informant for my father and intended to betray all of us to him."

"What!" Her gaze shifted to the other vampire and he flinched at the anger in her voice. "You little bastard. How much is he paying you?"

"I'm not an informant. Corvinus is just a client, one of many. I've never even met the man." Tanis's voice was clear despite the weakness of his body. "He pays me in information and rare books. It has nothing to do with any of you."

"Have you told him that we're here?" Lucian's voice was deceptively calm. He might be protecting Tanis for the moment but there was a limit to how much the vampire could get away with before his treachery became too much to accept.

"No. I haven't even heard from him in over a year. He contacts me on occasion. I don't seek him out."

"But you have the means to contact him, don't you?"

"Not directly. I have an address I can send coded messages to when I learn something of value but that's it."

"Does he know about the amulet?"

"Yes. He's interested in any information on what the other vampires and the Lycans are up to. I've told him everything I know about William and Marcus. Why wouldn't I? They're his sons and he wanted to know what happened to them. But he's never interfered in any of your plans."

"But you told him about them, didn't you? Did he know of my plan to assassinate the Elders?" Lucian had drawn closer to Tanis so that he was within easy reach of the flustered historian.

"No. I never told him about that. I didn't know how he would react but I knew what you would do to me if I told anyone."

"So you didn't tell him about an attempt on his son's life? Didn't it occur to you that he would reward you handsomely for such information?"

"I thought you said he doesn't care about you or William?" Selene had calmed down a bit but she was still glaring at Tanis even as she addressed Marcus.

"He doesn't but he does seem to go out of his way to protect me from death. I think he wants me to suffer for eternity as a vampire."

That didn't add up in Singe's mind. It didn't seem to make sense that Alexander Corvinus would protect Marcus only out of revenge. Perhaps, the immortal really did care for his sons and Marcus's twisted mind only interpreted that care as spite. It said a lot for the first vampire's mindset if that was the only motivation he could understand.

It also raised an interesting question. If Corvinus really was trying to protect his sons, how would he react to their plan to free William? Would he be opposed to it on the basis that his son was too dangerous to set free or would he be willing to help? The idea of possibly working with the man made Singe practically salivate. Someone that old must have all sorts of fascinating knowledge that had been lost over the centuries. It would be an honor to meet him and a huge opportunity for scientific advancement.

"Perhaps we should contact him. His support would be invaluable"

"No! Damn you, Lucian. If you even think about involving him in this, then not only will I withdraw my support for your peace plan but I will do everything in my power to destroy both species." Marcus was on his feet, his eyes glowing in rage and his features starting to melt into his hybrid form. Raze and Anton were on their feet, watching him as they prepared to defend their alpha and Selene was on her feet with her gun in hand.

Lucian merely laughed in his face which made all of them stare at him as though he'd gone mad. The Lycan hybrid appeared perfectly at ease. Of course, he had the numbers on his side but Marcus was still formidable and it was quite likely that several of them would die in any fight in such a constricted space.

"What good would that do you? If you killed us then how would you free William? I'm not saying that contacting Corvinus is a certainty but it's a possibility that I can't rule out. Do you know where he is or how to find him? How do you expect to get the other half of the key from him if you don't even know his whereabouts?"

"He won't give it to us. He doesn't want William to be free."

"Maybe. You haven't spoken to him in centuries if I'm not mistaken. How can you be sure he hasn't had a change of heart after all this time? We may have no choice but to enter into negotiations if we want the key back. But we still need to make contact with the other covens. That is our priority at the moment."

"You expect me to just forget about this and waste my time placating those simpering fools in the covens?"

"Our reasoning is still sound. If the covens are pacified by the news that you're still alive then they will be less likely to be a problem. It will be much harder to search for William's prison if we have to contend with roving patrols of Bloods. You need to contact the main covens and tell them to stand down and await your further orders. Then we can proceed from there."

Marcus stood there, his clawed hands grasping the edge of the table and a mixture of rage and confusion on his face. Lucian's words were perfectly logical but the need for Marcus to hit something was overwhelming. He took several deep breaths and made a visible effort to calm himself down. When he was a little more relaxed, he turned the force of his gaze on Tanis.

"And what about him? Are you just going to let him walk free so that he can contact Corvinus behind our backs?"

"No. He can't be trusted. That's why he's going to be under constant guard from now on. Anton, how would you feel about playing chaperone to Andreas here?"

Anton turned to look at Tanis with a feral grin. The vampire hadn't been stupid enough to abuse his captives but they weren't inclined to look kindly on the vampire either. Anton wouldn't hurt him unless ordered to do so by Lucian but simply having him nearby at all times was somewhat intimidating. Tanis turned away and wouldn't meet Anton's eyes.

"I'd be happy to, Lucian."

"Good, now that everything's settled, perhaps we should go over who to call and what to say."

Marcus settled down to Singe's amazement. He knew Lucian was persuasive but Marcus wasn't exactly sane and logical. It must be his need to free William that was allowing him to go along with Lucian without resorting to violence. He could only hope that it stayed that way.

He listened with no real interest as Lucian, Marcus, and Selene went over their plan. They would contact Alistair in London first and make it clear to him that Marcus was still alive and in control. They would order Alistair to spread the word while they contacted a handful of key covens. All of them would be told to put any Lycan hunts on hold and go into lockdown mode until they received further instructions.

Their ploy was that Ordoghaz had been attacked by an unknown enemy and only Marcus and a small handful of others had made it out safely. Marcus would tell them that he was investigating the attack and they were to consider themselves in danger as well.

The only hitch in the plan was the actual survivors who might tell a very different story. Marcus had offered to hunt all of them down and kill them but Lucian and Selene had disagreed. That would take time and effort but it might also be a futile effort. If some of them had already left then killing the rest would serve no purpose and Lucian wanted the deaths kept to a minimum. It might be possible to capture the few they knew about and hold them prisoner until this was all over but that would also take time and effort.

In the end, they decided to just go ahead with their plan and hope it worked out. It was unlikely that any of the survivors had traveled far enough to reach a major coven and their story might not be believed anyway. Many people craved stability above all else and there would be plenty of vampires who would rather trust the last living Elder than some low-ranking vampire with a wild tale of a hybrid destroyer.

Lucian sent Anton out of the room with Tanis when they went to contact Alastair. They didn't want him learning anything more then he already knew. Marcus stood by while Selene called the number for the London coven. He didn't know how to use this modern technology all that well so he allowed her to take the initiative.

"Whitmore Estates, James speaking. How may I help you?" The precise British voice made Marcus grimace.

"You can put Alastair on the phone and tell him that Lord Marcus needs to speak with him." There was silence on the other end for a moment.

"I will fetch him right away, sir." The vampire on the other end didn't sound like he believed Marcus but he also didn't dare upset him if it really was the Elder. They all waited for about five minutes before the phone was picked up again.

"Hello? This is Regent Alastair. Is it truly you, Lord Marcus?" The regent sounded just as wary as previous Blood had been. It was probably hard for them to believe that anyone had survived the destruction of Ordoghaz.

"Yes, it's me. How are your wife and daughters?" Marcus's expression contrasted the jovial tone in his voice. They needed cooperation and it wouldn't do for him to be abrupt with the regent but he wanted this over and done with as fast as possible. It was only with an effort that he could bring himself to make polite small talk.

"They're doing well, my lord. Forgive my astonishment but we believed you were dead. We've heard rumors that the entire Budapest coven was wiped out by some sort of strange creature."

"It's true that Ordoghaz was destroyed and most of the coven with it but there are a few other survivors. Selene is standing right next to me as we speak. However, Viktor and Amelia are both dead. I'm investigating the attack and have some leads in the cause.

But the other covens may be in danger. I need you to go on lockdown and cease all outside missions until I can ascertain who was behind this. I also need you to contact as many of the European covens as you can. I will contact the heads of each continent and relay the same message but I don't have the time to call everyone."

"My lord, I can send you some of my best Death Dealers to assist you in your investigation. It isn't safe for you to remain in Budapest. It would probably be best if you came here for protection. My men can be there by tomorrow night and take over for you."

"I don't require your help or your protection, only your cooperation. If we delay any longer, the trail will go cold. Selene and the others are fully up to the job. Or do you doubt her efficiency?"

"No, Lord Marcus. Forgive my presumptuousness. I only want to help make sense of this horrible tragedy. Who could have done such a thing? The Lycans don't have the numbers or weaponry to pull this off. I doubt those filthy mutts have enough brainpower to accomplish anything on this scale."

There was a quick flash of teeth from the Lycans in the room at the insult but they knew better than to growl and risk being overheard. Singe sneered silently at the vampire's arrogance. It had always served the Lycans well to be underestimated but it still amazed him that some of the Bloods could be so blind to the scope of their deeds. Then again, Alastair was only four hundred years old and hadn't fought in anything more than skirmishes. Those that had faced the Lycans in full-scale battle were less likely to be dismissive of their might.

"My guess is we have a traitor in our midst. One who wanted to overthrow the Elders and assume command. I believe it was Kraven but our investigation is still on going. That is all you need to know."

"Kraven? I can see him planning something like that. I will do as you command, Lord Marcus."

Marcus ended the call and had Selene dial New York next. The other calls went as well as the London one had. Everyone was shocked at the loss of Ordoghaz and expressed gratitude that Marcus had managed to survive. Each of the regents agreed to go into lockdown mode and await further instructions. There should be no further interferences from the Bloods.

"There. I've fulfilled my obligation to you. Selene must provide the next step. I need to know where William's prison was built. Then we can go after my father." Marcus looked at Selene expectantly. Michael looked worried and got up to move closer, not that he could stop Marcus from killing her if he chose to do so, but he felt the need to be protective of her.

"Fine. Let's get this over with." Selene held out her arm and bared her wrist. Marcus gripped her elbow with a predatory grin as he brought her wrist up closer to his mouth. When he bit down, she grimaced slightly but made no other motion. He drank less than he had when he'd bitten Tanis. Still, by the time he let go, Selene looked paler than usual and when she turned around to face Michael, she staggered just a little.

He rushed over to put his arm around her and guide her to a chair. The Lycans were all watching Marcus and barely paid any heed to the two of them. Marcus licked the blood from his lips and his eyes were unfocused, the pupils dilated as though he were drugged. He was trying to sort through the memories in his head but there were so many that it was not an instantaneous process.

But finally his eyes focused again and he shuddered slightly. He looked at each of them in turn and then at Selene. She glared at him as Michael offered her a packet of blood from the nearby fridge.

"Thank you, my dear. That was most helpful. Your father was quite the architect."

"So you know where William is being held?"

"Oh, yes. He's in Romania in the Carpathian mountains."


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Singe studied the huge map laid out over the wooden table. Marcus traced its contours with one finger before stabbing down at a particular spot. Lucian and the others clustered around the table leaned forward to look at the area.

"There. That is where my brother has been held captive all these centuries."

"It looks like rugged terrain. Is there any way to get up there?" Michael looked dubious but he ignored the look of disdain that Marcus sent him. It was a good sign if he was starting to develop a thicker skin and ignore the Elder's contempt.

"There was at one time. I remember a pass that led the way but it has been a long time. It may not be accessible any more." Selene looked tired but there was an interested gleam in her eyes.

Apparently, when Marcus had fed on her, it had unlocked memories of her childhood and she was recalling events that she hadn't before. It was bittersweet as she'd whispered to Michael, because she was remembering happy times with her sister as they played amid the walls of the fortress. But those memories were overlaid with the ones of her family's brutal murders and the knowledge that she had unknowingly given her loyalty to their murderer for centuries.

"There will be a way. If it is not accessible by foot, we can fly there." All of them looked at Marcus questioningly. He sighed in exasperation. "I was not suggesting that I fly each of you there. It would take far too long and would be tedious. But humans have invented machines that fly, have they not? We can take one of theirs."

"Karl is a pilot and I know where we can rent a helicopter. This might work but it will do no good to fly there unless we have the second half of the key." Lucian looked thoughtful as he put ideas together in his head, rearranging his plans to match the new information.

"We don't need the key. I'll tear the walls down brick by brick if I have to to free William. My father will not stop us."

"It would make more sense to try and contact him. If he refuses to help, then we're in the same place as now. It won't hurt to try."

"It's a waste of time and I don't want any part of it. If you wish to contact him you can do so but I'm leaving. I will scout out the position of the prison from the air and return in a day or two. I suggest you be ready to leave by that time." Marcus glared at all of them and then strode out of the room and up the stairs to the roof.

"Bring Tanis back in here. We need to do this quickly."

"Are you sure this is wise? If Marcus is right and Corvinus is opposed to our rescue attempt, then he could very well try and stop us if he finds out what we're planning. I'm sure he has access to a lot of resources after all this time." Selene looked troubled. It was in her nature to be suspicious and she had no reason to put her trust in Alexander Corvinus being on their side.

"I don't intend to tell him everything just enough to gage his reactions. I'll simply ask for the amulet back and try to get a feel for the man's motivations. Unless you want to join Marcus in digging at stone walls with your bare hands?"

"Fine. But if we go to meet him face-to-face, then I want to be in on the meeting. I should be able to get a better fix on his nature in person."

"Agreed. Now let's see if Tanis has decided to be cooperative."

Anton brought Tanis back in. The vampire looked nervous but he relaxed a bit when he realized Marcus was no longer in the room. But a look at all of their faces told him that he shouldn't expect kind treatment from any of them.

"Andreas, I need you to contact Alexander Corvinus. You will write the message I tell you to write and you will send it out without any arguments. Is that understood?"

"Yes, I don't have a problem with that."

"How long does it usually take him to reply?"

"It can vary from an hour to a few days. I assume he moves around quite a bit and doesn't always have access to a computer."

"Very well. Proceed." He watched intently as Tanis logged on to the computer terminal and found his address book. The return address for Corvinus was generic with nothing to indicate anything about the sender. It was possible that the message would be routed to a different e-mail in an attempt to protect Corvinus from being tracked but all Lucian cared about was the reply, not where it went. Tanis allowed all of them to crowd around and look over his shoulder as he typed the short, terse message that Lucian dictated to him.

"Bloods and Lycans are present with peaceful intentions. They want the second half of the key and believe you have it. Are you willing to give it over or perhaps exchange it for something else? A prompt reply is appreciated.

A. Tanis."

Tanis hit the "send" button once Lucian had agreed with the content and then all they could do was wait. Lucian sent Tanis to the back room with Anton to guard him. The Lycan was given permission to use force against the vampire and his female companions if he thought they posed a threat. It was a sign of faith that Anton was trusted alone with the three vampires.

Lucian sent Raze to bring back meals from the kitchen so they wouldn't have to leave the room. Selene and Michael had found an atlas of the area they would be traveling to and were studying it while Singe grabbed another book off the shelves to resume his interrupted reading. Lucian seemed impatient for once and kept pacing back and forth and staring out the window at the gathering shadows.

When the computer pinged to indicate a new message, they were in the middle of eating the dinner that Raze had brought back. Five heads swiveled towards the computer but it was Lucian who dropped his mutton shank and reached the computer first. The other four peered over his shoulder as he clicked on the reply.

"Exchange is possible. Meet me at midnight and we'll discuss this. Bring your guests with you but not Marcus.

A.C."

There was a brief list of directions which led to the same clearing where Selene had met with Marcus in the woods behind Ordoghaz. They all looked at each other with various expressions of surprise and satisfaction. None of them had expected such a quick reply let alone one that was promising in any way. Corvinus must know more about what was going on then they thought if he somehow knew that Marcus was one of those at the castle. And it couldn't be coincidence that he'd chosen that clearing. He must have known about their meeting there before. Was he spying on Marcus directly without the Elder knowing about it or was he tracking his son's movements somehow? And was he really willing to cooperate?

Despite the unanswered questions, Singe felt a surge of excitement at the idea of meeting Alexander Corvinus but he wasn't sure Lucian would let him go. It might be dangerous and he thought the alpha might still be feeling guilty over Singe being captured by the vampires on his previous mission and coming so close to death. But the Lycan scientist was fully prepared to plead his case.

"I suppose we'll have to take Tanis with us since he's Corvinus's contact. Selene, you and Michael, should accompany us to the meeting. It may be beneficial for the both of you to be present."

"Yeah, I'd like to meet him in person. Hopefully, he won't be as cold-hearted as Marcus claims." Michael looked interested at the idea of meeting his distant ancestor. It might be to their advantage to have his descendant along with them when they met Corvinus.

"Raze, I'd like for you to stay here and keep the others in line."

"It might be dangerous, Lucian. You need someone watching your back." The quick glare he gave in Selene's direction implied that the beta wolf still didn't trust her despite her having proven herself several times.

"I'll be fine." The note of warning in Lucian's voice made Raze realize that he wasn't interested in discussing it and the larger man bowed his head slightly in assent. Lucian turned then to Singe who was trying to hide his eagerness but not entirely succeeding. His alpha grinned at him genially.

"Well, what do you think, doctor? Would you prefer to stay here where it's safe or would you like to meet the first immortal?"

"I would greatly like to meet him but I believe I will go armed as well, just in case." He grinned back at Lucian, thrilled to go along on this historic meeting.

"A prudent decision. Try not to pester the man to death with questions when we're finally in his presence."

"I can't promise anything." He felt much better now that everything was settled. They made preparations quickly as no one was sure how soon Marcus would be back. Lucian, Michael, Selene, Singe, and Tanis would be at the meeting while Dmitri as the driver would act as back-up.

They were all prepared to leave within an hour. Singe patted the Luger at his side, hoping he wouldn't need it. He felt a strange mix of anticipation and worry. Would Corvinus turn out to be an ally? What if this was some sort of trap? If Alexander was willing to help them with their quest, how would that affect their deal with Marcus? It seemed as though every new step they took in the peace process only took them to more forks in the road.

"Can I come?" Everyone in the room turned to stare at Erika in the doorway. The blonde vampire crossed her arms across her chest defensively at their incredulous stares but she didn't back down. "What? I don't want to stay here. It's boring. I know how to shoot. I can be helpful."

"We don't need a tagalong. Why don't you stay here and give Tanis's girlfriends a make-over or something?"

"Please, they barely even wear clothes, let alone care about fashion. I'm still a vampire. I can fight if I have to."

"But you don't have to in this instance and we need to keep this a small group. But it would be helpful if you could stay here and watch the monitors. If Marcus returns, tell him we'll be back shortly but don't tell him where we've gone."

Erika pouted but it wasn't as though she could come along without Lucian's permission so she sat down by the monitors and tried not to look sullen at being left behind. As the others packed their gear into the truck, Lucian excused himself for a few moments and walked away to give private instructions to Raze and Anton. Singe was too keyed up with excitement to care what it was all about. Lucian emerged from the castle with a satisfied expression. With everything settled, the five of them got into the truck with Dmitri and headed back towards Budapest.

The night sky was obscured with clouds so that no stars were visible. The moon was on the wane but its pull was still there to a lesser degree. Singe stared out the window at the clouds and kept thinking about their upcoming meeting with Alexander Corvinus. How many nights had the man seen over his long life? How many times had he contemplated the full moon and cursed the monsters that his eldest sons had become? They would find out soon enough.

The area around the small lot at the back of Ordoghaz's estate looked deserted as they parked and got out. Lucian told Dmitri to stay with the truck in case they needed to make a quick getaway and then they cautiously approached the site for the meeting. All of them were sniffing at the air and straining every sense to detect anyone nearby but so far they appeared to be alone.

It was fifteen minutes before midnight so they were a bit early but this was making Singe feel uneasy. There was an odd feeling in the air and he had the distinct impression that they were being watched by more than one pair of eyes. The others were on alert as well. Selene had her gun out and was trying to look all around her for any possible attack.

When they reached the clearing, a man was already there, waiting for them. As he walked forward to meet them, they all halted and regarded him warily. The man smelled human and didn't appear to be armed. He was older with white hair and a neatly-trimmed beard. There was an air of authority around him and Singe thought there was some resemblance to Marcus but could this really be Alexander Corvinus?

"Hello, Tanis. I see you've brought some friends." He spoke with a cultured British accent but that didn't mean anything. Lucian had one as well from years spent in London back in the 1800's. Corvinus could have traveled all over the world by now.

"They're no friends of mine. I was brought here against my will." Tanis snapped and then cringed as Selene gave him a warning look.

"I'm sure Lucian had his reasons." The man turned his attention to Lucian.

"I assume you were the instigator of this little meeting, rather than Tanis here?"

"You're Alexander Corvinus?" The man nodded once. They would have to take his word for it as none of them had ever seen him before. "Then, yes. I arranged for this meeting in order to retrieve the second half of the key. You stated that you're willing to turn it over?"

"Perhaps but only under certain conditions. If you say no to any of them, then this meeting is at an end."

They all exchanged cautious looks. It sounded like Corvinus believed he had all the advantage in this situation despite being heavily outnumbered.

"Very well. What are the conditions?"

"First, you will not tell Marcus anything that we discuss here or anything about any arrangement we might come to now or at any future time."

"Agreed. What else?"

"You will not try to contact me again. If I need to contact you, I'll do so but I prefer my privacy."

"Fine. I assume there's more."

"Yes. I want to know what you plan on doing with the two keys. Do you know what they're actually for?"

"They're the key to William's prison. We plan on trying to help your son return to a more human state of mind but we will not release him in his current state. He's far too dangerous."

"I see. It's a very ambitious plan but what makes you think you'll succeed where I have failed?"

"According to Marcus, you did nothing to help either of them." Selene looked suspicious. It was her usual expression but she seemed to be eying Corvinus with particular malice. Perhaps she blamed him for letting his sons run wild and destroying so many lives.

If vampires had never come into being, her life would have been so different. She would likely have been married off, had several children, and lived a typical short human span. She also would have died centuries ago from one thing or another. Selene hadn't been lying when she told Viktor that the loss of her family wasn't worth her immortality although Michael's presence seemed to be making up for that loss somewhat.

"Marcus is quite mad, I'm afraid. I've done nothing but try and help both of them for the past eight centuries. I know my son would prefer to blame me for everything that's happened to him but it's simply not the truth. I've spent every minute possible trying to help my sons and find a cure for their condition. It's unfortunate that I haven't been successful yet. Which makes me ask again, what makes you think that you'll be able to help William?"

"Singe here is an expert in the biochemistry and genetics of both lines. He believes there's a chance that William can be helped although, I admit, none of us can guarantee what will happen."

Singe swallowed nervously as Alexander Corvinus turned the full weight of his gaze on the Lycan scientist. There seemed to be an air of disapproval in his regard and Singe had to force himself to stand up straight and meet the immortal's eyes without flinching. Corvinus wasn't a Lycan but he definitely had the presence of an alpha-level personality.

"Interesting. Tell me doctor, how many of my descendants did you have to kill to get that knowledge of yours?"

Singe felt as though he was frozen in place and all he could do was stare wide-eyed at the immortal. How the hell did Corvinus know about the experiments? Lucian gave a very low growl and shadows emerged from the trees to form a ring around them. He couldn't fathom how the camouflaged, armed men had gotten the jump on them but there they were.

They smelled of pine and dirt, having evidently been hiding in wait but it was more than that. From the strength of the odors, Corvinus's men had deliberately been sprayed with natural scents to hide their presence. This had obviously been well-planned and they had foolishly walked right into the trap.

"Did you think I didn't know what you were doing, Lucian? You claim to want to help my sons while your men helped kill so many more of my descendants. Mr. Corvin there would have been just another one of your victims if he hadn't carried the necessary genes. It just proves how much of a monster all of your kind really are no matter how much you try to deny it."

"If you knew what we were doing, why didn't you stop me? No one ever interfered with the kidnappings or the experiments. It seems as though you just stood back and watched." Lucian was calm despite the surrounding mercenaries.

"That was my mistake. All these centuries I've stayed aloof and tried to let both sides make their own peace with the world. I didn't want to become a tyrant or a mass murderer, hunting down my son's cursed offspring. But I should have put a stop to this right at the beginning, even if it meant killing both of them."

"This is nonsense. We have a real chance to bring about peace and you want to sabotage that? Well, 'grandpa' maybe you should have killed them back then but it's too late now. You got upset with Singe for experimenting on your other descendants, and I've still got issues with that as well. And I can't say that either side acted entirely with honor. But if you kill us, you'll be no better than any of them."

Michael had had enough. He was angrier than any of them had ever seen him before. His eyes were jet black and his teeth were much longer while he couldn't clench his hands into fists due to the claws he now sprouted. Corvinus appeared taken aback by his many greats-grandson's outburst as were the rest of them. He had been doing a good job of controlling the animalistic impulses derived from both his Lycan and vampire blood but clearly the current situation was just too much to take or perhaps it was the idea of Selene being in danger that was triggering his reaction.

"Peace, Michael. Let's hear him out." Lucian spoke softly but took a step closer so he could restrain Michael if he needed to.

"I wasn't going to kill you, Michael. But I can't take the chance that William will be freed again. I can't allow any of you to open that prison."

"Do you really think you can hold all of us prisoner? How long do you think that will be successful? Not only will Marcus be looking for us but so will all of my men."

"I don't need to hold you prisoner. I want you to give me the other half of the key and then our meeting will be over."

"It won't do you any good. Now that Marcus knows where William is being held prisoner, he'll stop at nothing to free him. I doubt the walls will hold against modern-day explosives. The key is largely useless at this point. It only serves to make our entrance easier but even without it, we will gain access one way or another."

"He's right you know. You won't stop me." Corvinus's men were knocked aside and the guns ripped from their hands by something that moved too fast for any of them to register. They all went into a defensive position as a distorted figure emerged from among the trees. Apparently, they had been followed after all. The sight of him made Corvinus take in a shaky breath.

"Hello, father. It's been a long time." Marcus grinned at Alexander and everything went very still.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The clearing went very still as no one dared to move and draw attention to themselves. Marcus and his father were staring at each other as though there was no one else around. They hadn't laid eyes on each other for centuries and now that they were reunited, neither one of them knew quite how to react. Even Marcus, for all his anger towards his father, seemed to be considering his next move rather than attacking outright.

"This doesn't have to get violent. You could join us in helping William. That would make up for your mistakes more than killing all of us ever would." Lucian was careful not to get between Marcus and Corvinus. If the hybrid Elder really wanted to kill his father, it would be best not to interfere.

"I'm afraid it's far too late for that. And I don't believe Marcus here will allow me the luxury of explaining myself."

"Explain all you want, father. It won't make up for your rejection of William and I. But please, I'd like to hear what sort of excuse you've come up with."

"I never rejected William or you. I spent centuries looking for a way to cure both of you. I thought if I stayed neutral and didn't try to attack your followers, that we could come to an understanding some day. We both know that you're the one who rejected me and rejected the help I could have provided Will."

"Don't lie, old man. You locked me up like a criminal and you were willing to let the peasants try and kill my twin, your son. You never tried to contact me or offer any assistance."

"I locked you up for your own good. You were in such a confused state of mind after your transformation that you were a danger to yourself and others. And I wasn't willing to let anyone kill your brother but I did consider the possibility that he would be killed before we could catch up to him. If that had happened, I wouldn't have punished them for his death. They were only trying to defend themselves.

And I did try to contact you numerous times but apparently the messages didn't get through. I assumed you were merely ignoring them but perhaps I was mistaken and this is all a matter of miscommunication."

"I don't believe you. No one had any reason to hide your messages from me. Of course, there's one way to tell if you're lying or not." Marcus bared his fangs in a grin.

"Viktor and Amelia betrayed you and took power. Do you really think they wanted me to talk to you or offer any support? And there is no way I'll allow you to bite me. I simply can't trust you not to kill me. However, perhaps someone more suited to control would do. Selene would be acceptable."

"What are you saying? You want me to bite you and scan your memories to prove you care about your sons?" Selene didn't sound enamored of the plan.

"Yes, assuming Marcus will take your word concerning what you see in my head."

"Well, Marcus? Do you trust Selene to tell us the truth?" Lucian regarded Marcus carefully knowing this could be an incredibly important turning point in the meeting. Marcus seemed torn between glaring at his father in hatred and eying Selene like she was suddenly the enemy.

"Yes, I don't think she has enough imagination to lie." He finally said. Selene merely shrugged at the attempted insult and glanced around at Corvinus's men. Many were unconscious or still dazed from the speed of the attack but a few had recovered enough to train their weapons back on the group in the clearing.

"Your men aren't going to shoot me for biting you, are they?"

"No, they'll understand that it was my decision, even if you choose to kill me on approach."

"Are you sure this is safe?" Michael had calmed down a little but he was still glaring at Marcus and Alexander suspiciously.

"I don't see why not. Anyway, it's our best bet." Selene touched Michael's face softly, cupping his cheek and then kissing him briefly. "And I have you to watch my back."

Most of the others looked away briefly as Michael kissed her back and encircled her with his arms, giving the two lovers at least the appearance of privacy but Marcus kept staring, his lips curled back from his fangs in an attitude of disgust. Selene pulled away reluctantly.

"Let's get this over with." She holstered her gun and strode over to Corvinus. "It would probably be easier if you're sitting down. I may have to take a lot to get the proper memories."

"I'll be fine."

"Very well." He turned his head to bare his neck for her fangs. She wasted no time but bit down at the juncture of his shoulder. Corvinus didn't react in any way except to close his eyes. As she took more blood, he went pale and swayed a little so Selina put her hands on his shoulders to steady him. When she finally released him, he staggered a little and she kept a restraining hand on his arm until she was sure he wasn't going to pass out.

"Well? Did it work?" Marcus demanded. He'd edged closer in his impatience and Selene frowned at him and put herself between Marcus and his father. She looked a little woozy too and Singe found himself wondering what sort of effect Corvinus's blood might have on her. He wasn't an ordinary human, after all and vampires could be affected by what they ingested.

"Yes. He's telling the truth. He did try to help both you and William and he made several attempts to contact you."

"That's not...it can't be true!" Marcus snarled at her and took another step forward only to realize that there were multiple laser sights trained on him, bathing his chest and back in red. Apparently, Corvinus had more men then they'd originally thought.

"Is this how you claim to help me? By having your men shoot me down like a dog?"

"It's merely a precaution. I have no intention of letting you kill me."

"It will take more than mere humans with toys to stop me from killing you, old man."

"Marcus! Enough!" Lucian had finally lost his temper and turned towards the other man with a look of disgust. "You claim you want to help William and you agreed you would accept whatever Selene found in his memories. The logical course now would be for all of us to work towards the same goal. If you truly care about your brother, you'll get over your revenge fantasies and accept your father's help."

"How dare you talk to me that way! We don't need him to free William.

He may have tried to help as he says but if so, then he failed rather miserably."

"You're right, I did. And I'm sorry for that. There have been many mistakes made over the years but if I can help William now than maybe that will make up for some of them. You've made mistakes too, Marcus. Your first one was trusting Viktor and Amelia but I know you want to help your brother and I'm offering my help along with all the resources at my disposal."

Marcus was clearly torn. If he refused his father's help, then it would put a lie to the idea that he would do anything to save William. But he had spent centuries hating his father and blaming him for every thing that had gone wrong. It wouldn't be easy for him to just give all that up and admit that he may have been wrong all this time. Singe held his breath as he waited to see if this would turn into a bloodbath. Finally, Marcus stepped backwards and snarled in disgust.

"Fine. But you can deal with Lucian. I have better things to do." Marcus turned his back on his father and walked away. The laser sights tracked him until Corvinus gave a signal that made them all disappear. As soon as he got clear of the trees, he launched himself into the air and vanished into the clouds. Singe breathed out again in relief. They were all still alive although still surrounded by heavily-armed men.

"Are you really willing to help us or were you just saying that for your son's benefit?" Lucian regarded Corvinus coolly. The immortal faced him with an air of disdain at Lucian's cynicism.

"I meant it. If I thought the only way left to deal with William was to kill him and put him out of his misery, then I would do that myself. But if there's even the slightest possibility that he can be saved then I must try. Even if I disagree with your scientist's method of research."

He turned his head to glare at Singe again who did his best to meet that angry gaze. He had done what he had to to help his fellow Lycans and he wouldn't apologize for that.

"Don't put yourself on any moral pedestal, Corvinus. I know that you sent you men out to clean up any evidence of our existence after many of the battles and I know you ordered them to kill any wounded vampires or Lycans they came across to protect your secret. How many of them begged for their lives, I wonder?"

Alexander looked astonished and Singe couldn't hide his surprise either. How did Lucian know all this? He'd never mentioned anything before about humans who were aware of the supernatural community and joined in the cover-up. Yet again, he was reminded that there was so much going on in their world that he didn't know about, stuck as he was in his lab most of the time.

But now he was in the middle of things and he almost found himself missing the simple, stark reality of his studies. Singe wasn't cut out for intrigue but that was what was needed now so he would have to trust that Lucian and Raze were watching out for him even when they withheld evidence.

"I get your point, Lucian. And now I want you to get mine. I will go along with your plan for William's sake but I am not one of your followers. I expect to be treated as an equal and to have my own input into the situation."

"Of course. We won't head for William's prison for a couple of days. Perhaps you'd like to return to the fortress with us so we can discuss our plans in more depth."

"I'll meet you there. There are a few arrangements I need to attend to first."

"Very well. We look forward to your arrival." Lucian nodded at them to follow him and without any further exchange, he led the four of them back to the truck where Dmitri was waiting anxiously.

"Is everything okay, boss? I saw Marcus go by just a minute ago. He didn't seem very happy."

"Yes, everything's fine. We're going back to the fortress and I'll explain everything there." The ride back seemed much quicker than the trip there had been. Singe was still troubled by Corvinus's hostility but at least he was willing to work with them. The larger problem now was how they could work with both Marcus and his father without the two of them getting at each other's throats.

The air smelled of rain but it was still dry out by the time they got back. Everyone got out of the truck and headed inside. Raze had already gathered the others in the main hall although Marcus hadn't returned yet. Erika sat apart from the six Lycans and looked a bit uncomfortable at being outnumbered. Tanis's female vamps were there as well but they sat at the back of the room, away from anyone else and right by the safety of the door to the back rooms.

Tanis headed straight for the women and took a seat between them. When they attempted to comfort him, he pushed them away with an irritated growl that would have done a Lycan proud. Apparently, the rather cowardly vampire was still shaken up by the pace of events.

They all could have died at the hands of Alexander's men or at the hands of an enraged Marcus. Lucian and some of the others might have stood a chance if the hybrid attacked but Tanis was no fighter and Marcus hated him. He would have been dead for sure if Marcus had lost control.

And as awe-inspiring and befuddling as it had been for Singe to meet the immortal Alexander, how must Andreas Tanis feel to meet the man who he had studied from afar? The historian might be a coward and a traitor who'd do anything to survive but his love of history and of information was pretty much his only redeeming factor as far as Singe was concerned. He'd met a living, breathing piece of history and the most he'd been able to do was cringe and stay out of the way as Lucian and Marcus made their deals.

Singe could almost feel sorry for the vampire except that he knew that Tanis would still get his chance to interact with Corvinus and he might get a warmer reception than the Lycan scientist would. Although, if Alexander found out about Tanis's involvement in Lucian's grand plan which would have led to Marcus's death if they were successful, he might not be so receptive. In fact, most of the people in this room had conspired to bring death to Corvinus's sons or their descendants.

It was going to be an odd balancing act as everyone tried hard not to offend each other. Although Marcus seemed to make an art out of offending others and his father would probably be a ripe target for his sarcasm. It was going to be an interesting time, that was for sure.

Lucian explained to the others that Corvinus would be joining them probably with some of his men and that they were to be treated with respect. The fortress was large enough to accommodate far more people than their little motley group of vampires, Lycans, and hybrids. The best bet was to station the humans in an isolated wing where they could stay out of the way when not needed and feel more comfortable.

"I have a question." Michael said quietly once Lucian had finished. "How soon are we going to head to Romania and what are we going to do if we can't get into the prison?"

There was confused looks from several of those in the room. Michael seemed oddly subdued after meeting his ancestor. Perhaps he'd been expecting more from the immortal than he'd received.

"What do you mean? Corvinus has agreed to help us and with both keys we should have no problem getting into the prison." Selene looked to him to explain his question.

"What if there have been landslides and the building is damaged? It's been what? Eight centuries or more since William was locked up? Tunnels could have collapsed or flooded. He could be dead for all any of us know."

"We don't know and we won't until we get there. Although, if William is dead, I believe Marcus will likely decide to punish all of us for it. We'll need to be careful but we'll simply have to deal with problems as they arise."

"Alexander's men have explosives and many of them are ex-military. They will likely know how to excavate any damaged areas." Tanis spoke up unexpectedly and Lucian acknowledged his contribution with a nod. He didn't bother to ask how Tanis knew that. It would be best to let the vampire be helpful without more hostile questions.

"As for when, we'll need to coordinate with Alexander. I imagine it will be a day or two before we can move out. Are you in some sort of hurry?"

"No, I just think it should take some more planning before going into an ancient prison looking for a bloodthirsty monster."

"Certainly. That's exactly what we'll be doing with Corvinus later. With their help, we should be prepared for every eventuality. And we're all bloodthirsty monsters so I imagine we'll fit right in with William."

"What about Marcus? Are we sure he's really accepted his father working with us? What if he decides to kill him anyway?"

"I believe he won't kill him right now unless Corvinus is foolish enough to insult him or attack him first. He may turn on him after this is all over but that's not our concern. Raze, we'll have to reconfigure the security measures to keep an eye on the humans to avoid any problems. Take care of it."

"All right but you've got a message from Sanctuary. Isadore wants to speak with you." That brought startled looks from all of the Lycans in the room. Part of security protocols was that they only used phones in an emergency. It was too easy for the Bloods to trace their calls and even when the conversations were in code, they sometimes figured it out. E-mail had been a huge boost for the Lycan network and it was much harder for the Bloods to track but in the old days, coded messages from the Sanctuaries were usually carried by hand and passed from town to town until they reached Lucian or one of the other alphas.

So it would have to be very important or dire for Isadore to actually call Lucian directly on Raze's cell. Lucian didn't even carry one. He didn't look concerned at the call so perhaps he knew what it was about.

"We're going to need supplies if we stay up at the prison for any length of time. I don't know how much Corvinus will bring with him. Dmitri, I want you and Karl to head into town tomorrow. I'll get a list together. I want everyone well-rested for this mission. If there are no more questions...? Good. Singe, Raze, come with me."

The two Lycans followed their alpha out and down the hall to the room he'd picked out as his own. He shut the thick, wooden door behind him and gestured for them to sit. The room was sparsely furnished with only a bed and a small table with two chairs. They sat and waited for Lucian to explain what they were doing here.

"This is turning out to be quite the expedition. I want to plan our actions before we get there but there's no reason for any of our so-called allies to know anything about it. This is about what's best for us in the long run.

When we reach the prison, Marcus will want us to free William. We'll have to find some way to subdue him unless there's a way for you to obtain samples without removing him from whatever bonds he's in. We will not unchain him no matter what Marcus says. We'll have to have the strength in numbers to oppose him but I think with Alexander on our side, that shouldn't be a problem."

"Lucian, are you sure we can trust Marcus? He's a loose cannon and a danger to all of us. We might be better served by focusing on Corvinus's help and leaving Marcus out of this."

"No, Raze. For now we need both of them. I would like to think we can get through this without any further bloodshed but if Marcus feels we've turned our backs on him, he will react with vengeance. It's better to deal with both of them and hope that the truce holds.

I intend to leave some of us here to keep an eye on Tanis but we'll need guards for the prison as well. Once we find William, we'll need to have guards with him at all times in case he escapes or his brother tries to free him. Raze, what's your assessment of Tanis's former prisoners? Can they be trusted to keep their word?"

"Anton can. He's still loyal and always has been. I don't think he'll attack Tanis after we leave. He's smart enough to know what you would do to him for going against his orders. Stan and Bela will go along with whatever you say. They're too cowed to go against you. Henryk seems to be subdued but I don't know. Some of his words and body language don't match. He could still be adjusting to being human again after so long but I can't say I would entirely trust him at our back in a fight."

"Indeed but if he's unstable then I can't leave him here. It would be too easy for him to kill Tanis in revenge. It would probably be better for us to bring him along where we can keep an eye on him."

Singe winced at the idea. The Lycan probably still blamed the scientist for his captivity. He didn't relish being in the company of someone else who hated him for a long period of time but Lucian's reasoning made sense.

"Why is Isadore calling you? Is there a problem?" Singe dared to ask. It wasn't really his place to do so but he couldn't help but wonder and even more so if it was something that would affect their mission. Lucian shook his head and didn't seem offended by the question.

"I don't know for sure although I have an idea what it might be about. I'll talk to her when we're done here. I plan on bringing Karl, Anton, and Henryk with us and leaving Dmitri in charge here once we depart. Along with Michael and Selene, that will give us eight on our side. I don't know how many men Corvinus will bring with him but hopefully we'll be equal or superior in numbers. Of course, Marcus will be his own faction."

"I think we should bring the girl, Erika, with us." Both of the alphas turned to look at Singe in surprise. They knew he disliked vampires and couldn't imagine why he would want to bring her.

"If I am conducting experiments to determine what might work on William, it would help if I had access to regular Lycans and Bloods as well as hybrids. It would be better to have different sources available and I do not think Selene will be happy to help me much. I suppose Tanis or one of his consorts would do as well but she seems compliant enough to work as a test subject."

"That's good thinking. I'd prefer to leave Tanis here. He's not a scientist and he'll merely get in the way. So I'll include Erika with us and the nine of us will accompany Marcus and his father to William's prison.

Now that we have that settled, I insist you get some rest, gentlemen. I doubt any of us will have much time for sleep once this mission is underway. It's going to get interesting."

Singe agreed with his alpha's assessment. The tension of their meeting had left the scientist feeling drained and he gladly headed for his bed. As he passed by one of the windows, he could hear the rain finally beginning to fall outside. Hopefully, it was a symbol that all their problems would be washed away and everything would begin anew. All of them would just have to wait and see.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Alexander Corvinus showed up shortly after dawn. He was accompanied by four men and a woman who were all dressed in camouflage and carrying weapons. Marcus hadn't returned to everyone's relief and the vampires couldn't go out in the day so it was the Lycans including Michael who went out to meet them. Singe had been roused from a deep sleep to join them and now he had to fight the urge to yawn and blink too much in the early light.

It had rained for most of the night after they'd returned to Tanis's fortress. The air smelled fresh and clean and there were still a few puddles in the parking lot where Corvinus and his soldiers emerged from a large black van. For a moment, the two groups faced each other with the soldiers stone-faced and the larger group of Lycans wary and on edge. Then Lucian smiled and nodded.

"It's good of you to come, Corvinus. Would you care to join us inside? We have coffee available if you like."

"Are my men allowed to bring in their weapons?" Corvinus seemed stiff and there was a smell of uncertainty about him unlike last night.

"Of course. I understand that you feel the need to protect yourselves. However, if any of them shoot any of us without a very compelling reason, you understand there will be consequences?"

"They're trained professionals not trigger-happy amateurs. There will be no violence unless your people start it."

"Now that we understand each other, do come in. I'd prefer not to worry about who might see us conversing out here. The Bloods are very resourceful sometimes. Marcus is not here if that is your concern."

Corvinus relaxed a fraction so apparently that had been a worry to him. If anyone started a fight, it would undoubtedly be Marcus. Lucian had ordered the Lycans to be on their best behavior and none of them would dare disobey him. None of the vampires had any reason to provoke a fight and Michael still preferred peaceful dialogue even when his animal instincts urged him to violence.

Hopefully, Corvinus and his soldiers had no reason to want an argument so Marcus was the only possible source of contention. The humans followed Lucian and the others to the large meeting room on the second floor. The soldiers were obviously surveying their surroundings as they walked through the stone corridors but none of them said anything or broke the protective formation they had formed around their leader.

Tanis, Selene and Erika were waiting at the far end of the table. The blonde vampire was only allowed because she would be going with them and needed to know what was going on but it had been made clear to her that her actual participation was neither wanted nor desired. She seemed happy to be involved at all.

Corvinus and his men sat at one end of the table and the vampires and Lycans sat at the other. It was long enough that there were a few empty seats between them. Singe, seated just to the left of Lucian with Raze on his other side, kept an eye on the door to the rooftop. It would be just like Marcus to return at the worst possible time and disrupt the negotiations.

"I'm glad you came, Corvinus."

"Did you doubt me? I said I would help and here I am."

"It's always gratifying to meet a man of his word. Let me make quick introductions." Lucian gave a quick run down of everyone in the room for the benefit of their guests. Corvinus seemed to know who most of them were anyway but his soldiers needed to know where everyone stood in the little hierarchy of Lucian's followers.

Corvinus introduced the soldiers only by their last names. The four men were Miller, Ruiz, Jablonski, and Timlin while the woman was Kruschev. All five stood blank-faced and silent. Corvinus stated that Jablonski was a medical doctor and would help in the study of William. Singe studied the man for a moment. He was middle-aged for a human, lean, dark-haired, and wearing glasses. He doubted the human would be all that useful but he supposed he could use an assistant.

"Formality aside, Lucian, I am fully prepared to help out in any way I can but I expect you to keep Marcus in check. He certainly won't listen to me but he seems to respect you for some reason."

"I don't believe he respects me entirely. I'm simply a means to an end for him as is anyone else who might help him with William. I'll do my best to keep him calm but he's not a dog on a leash. I can only persuade him to behave not force him into tolerating you."

"That will have to suffice. Now, just how many of your men will be coming with us? I assume you'll leave some behind to guard this place."

"Myself, Raze, Singe, Selene, Michael, Anton, Henryk, Karl, Erika, and another Lycan who will be arriving shortly. Dmitri, Bela, and Stanislaus will stay behind with Tanis. Is that acceptable?"

Their guest raised an eyebrow at the mystery of that last person listed but he clearly considered it impolite to question Lucian right now so he merely nodded. Singe wondered who was coming here. He'd heard nothing of any arriving Lycan but it was probably connected to Isadore's mysterious phone call from last night.

It occurred to Singe that Alexander Corvinus could be as single-minded as his son. He had been so bent on staying neutral all this time and now that he had an opportunity to do something concrete, he was willing to use all of his resources to get the job done.

"That's fine. I have three helicopters fueled and ready to go whenever you are. We'll be bringing in whatever scientific and medical supplies your doctor might need for his studies. I'd like to get this under way by tonight if possible."

"And what about Marcus? Shall we wait for him or do you expect that he'll meet us there?"

"I sent two of my men on a reconnaissance mission in the area and they reported seeing a large, flying creature over the prison. If Marcus returns here, you can fill him in on whatever plans we make but I think it's more likely that he will stay there until we arrive. Their survey also found that landslides have obliterated any approach by land. Flying is the only way in or out of the site."

Which meant once they reached the site, they would be dependent on Corvinus's helicopters. Karl could fly one if needed but if Corvinus ordered his men to leave with them after they were dropped off, then they would be in trouble. It was also possible that Lycans and vampires could make it out on foot as they could navigate harsh terrain better than any human but it sounded like it would be rough going.

"Did the prison look damaged in any way?" Selene asked. Alexander shook his head.

"It looked intact from the air although it's possible there may be damage in some of the lower levels. Your father's skills as a builder were most impressive."

The vampire grimaced slightly at the mention of her father. Doubtless, she would unlock and experience new memories by walking the halls of the prison where she had played as a child and that would only add to the pain of her past. But she probably wanted those memories back as well in order to feel complete.

Singe was excited at the idea that Corvinus would supply him with lab equipment. It would probably be state-of-the-art and in mint condition unlike the mismatched surplus he'd managed to acquire over the years. It would be too dangerous for any of the Lycans to try and steal from most human labs. The Bloods often had a hand in research facilities and they would investigate any theft very thoroughly.

Besides that, if they were ever discovered and forced to flee there might not be time for Singe to take some of the larger pieces of equipment with him. It wouldn't be too suspicious if the Bloods had found an old centrifuge or test tubes. They could be explained away as medical equipment. But anything more sophisticated might have been more telling. They couldn't allow the vampires to even guess at what he was doing. So he'd endured with his old equipment and never bothered to think too much about all the modern technology available in the human world.

"That's good news. If the walls are intact throughout, then it shouldn't be any problem to locate William. The problem will be afterward. It may take far longer to find a cure than Marcus will allow. It would be just like him to free his brother and let him run loose if he becomes impatient enough. I propose we each keep guards on William at all times and not let Marcus too near to him."

"I was going to suggest the very same thing. In addition, I have resources that you may be unaware of." Corvinus removed a small metal container from his pocket and placed it on the table. It looked like tear gas and indeed there was a slight hint of an unfamiliar odor that made every non-human in the room grimace.

"This is something my scientists developed. It will render a Lycan or vampire unconscious for up to two hours. It may not last as long on William as he's quite powerful but it should allow Singe to take his samples safely. It's drawback is that it lingers in the air for several minutes so time will be a factor but it should suffice.

Also, we've developed a sedative that works long-term on Lycans although it has less effect on vampires. It would probably be best if we keep my son as docile as possible. Even with guards and weapons, he will be difficult to contain."

Lucian remained unruffled but Singe found himself both fascinated and afraid. Through trial and error, he'd been able to develop the elixir that prevented the Change. But it was hard to find any drugs that affected most Lycans or Bloods for very long. Their metabolisms burned through sedatives and painkillers far too quickly and enormous doses, enough to kill multiple humans, were required to have any useful effect.

The fact that Corvinus had these drugs available to him suggested that he could have taken down the Lycans and vampires if he wanted to at any time. All he needed was their major locations and he could take them out easily. Humans vastly outnumbered both groups of immortals and if they ever found out about them and attacked, it was likely the humans would prevail in the end. On the other hand, the fact that he was disclosing this to all of them was a good indicator that he was sincere in his efforts to help. He was sure that Lucian would take precautions against any treachery but it was starting to feel more and more as if this alliance would actually work.

"I'm glad to see that you have this all planned out, Corvinus. We shall leave tonight as long as my guest has arrived by then which shouldn't be an issue."

"I don't suppose you care to tell me who this 'guest' is or why their presence is important?"

"I believe this person will be beneficial for Singe's studies. William is the first Lycan but we have changed since his time. The closer to him the Lycan is, the better it will be to study the changes. Isadore is one of the oldest living Lycans and now that I'm a hybrid, she is the best source for unchanged Lycan DNA."

"Isadore is coming here?" It was probably rude for Singe to speak out of turn but he couldn't help the surprise. He had assumed that the alpha female was sending another guard to help, perhaps someone with experience in mountain climbing or some other skill that would be useful at the prison.

As far as he knew, Isadore had not left the main Sanctuary in nearly two hundred years. It was unheard of for her to make a long journey and risk discovery except in an emergency. Either Lucian had imparted to her how important their mission might be to the future of both species or she had decided on her own that this was important enough to warrant her presence. Or maybe there was something more to this that he didn't know about.

"Yes. She should arrive this afternoon."

Although Lucian hadn't asked him, Singe was pleased with his alpha's reasoning. The older the Lycan or Blood, the closer they were to the source and the more useful for his studies. He'd resigned himself to not having access to the handful of older Lycans who were scattered around the world to protect them from discovery. The war needed Lycans who actually remembered what it was like to live as a slave in order to provide focus and keep the younger Lycans in check.

Otherwise, they might just revert to fighting among themselves and the Bloods would be able to pick them off that much easier. It was one of the reasons Lucian was so adamant against any activity he saw as uncivilized or anything that pitted pack members against each other. They needed a united front if they were to have any chance of surviving.

He looked forward to seeing Isadore again. The female alpha was always gracious and controlled and hopefully she would act as a calming influence on the group. Although, he wondered how she would react to the vampires. She hadn't been near any since the war and old hatreds still ran deep in many of the old soldiers. But she had enough control not to attack the Bloods at first sight or even attack them verbally. Most likely, she would ignore them as much as possible.

"That's acceptable. I look forward to meeting your Isadore. Now I have to ask how you knew about my Cleaners. I wasn't aware that anyone was aware of them."

"I have many sources. The more people who know a secret, the more likely it is that that secret will get out. Frankly, I wasn't completely sure of your motives but I was aware that you were behind it. Otherwise, I would have tracked down your teams and had them killed a long time ago and I'm sure the Bloods would have done the same."

"We were aware of the Cleaners as well but were always told to leave them alone. I never understood why until now." Selene looked at Corvinus specutively. "I think Viktor and Amelia wanted to leave you alive because it bothered Marcus and as much as they claimed to be equals, we all knew that Marcus had the least amount of power and influence of all of them. That's why his centuries were always the most tense."

"I see. Apparently I wasn't as good at covering my tracks as I thought. I'll have to remedy that in the future."

"Did you really think we wouldn't notice bodies disappearing after fights? Did you think we would just blame the other side? We can smell that there were humans present even though your men took steps to try and hide it."

"Is there anything else you'd like to tell me about my operation? The location of my bases, perhaps?" Corvinus smelled of annoyance even though his face was empty of emotion. He may be the first immortal but he wasn't infallible. That was comforting in a way. It made him seem less formidable.

"You use the name 'Lorenz Macaro,' when dealing with the human world. Your current base of operations is an old freighter named the 'Sancta Helena' stationed in the Black Sea. I'm sure you have plenty of others but that is your main base in Hungary. Rest assured, I'm not telling you all this to make you look bad or to imply that you're incompetent. If anything, I'd say it's the other way around. You believed that both species, but especially Lycans were monsters and animals, didn't you? That's why you're so surprised at how much we know."

"Monsters, yes, but not animals. I understand that you're intelligent. I just didn't believe that the Lycans had the resources to discover my operation and I believed the vampires in their arrogance would be quick to blame any disappearances on Lycans. I'm impressed at how much you both knew. Tell me, was I a part of your plan? Did you wonder how I'd react if you succeeded in killing my son?"

"I believed you were estranged from Marcus. It appears I underestimated your interest in him. So, what would you have done to revenge him? Would you have killed me?"

"Perhaps. It was difficult for me to give up my neutrality for this alliance but it would have been even harder to give it up for revenge. If Marcus had died, he would have brought it on himself. Even if I had decided to kill you and Kraven in revenge, I wouldn't have taken it out on the rest of the species."

"That's a very wise decision. Now that we understand each other a little better, perhaps I can ask a more personal question. I'd like to know how much you knew about how both of our species operated. Did you have informants other than Tanis or did you learn more by observation?"

This was a touchy subject and Corvinus was clearly trying to consider how to answer. If he revealed that there were Lycans who had sold him information, then Lucian would be obligated to punish whoever had betrayed him probably with death. Selling information(and presumably none of them were stupid enough to simply give it away for free) was a traitorous act and one that might have endangered the lives of their packmates in unknown ways.

"I had an informant among your Lycans at one time but he was killed in a fight with the Bloods. I don't see the point of telling you his name at this point. Rest assured, it was very difficult to find anyone who would betray you and even the one I did have only did so under pressure from my men. It was either that or we would have killed him.

I have two other informants among the vampires but I don't feel comfortable telling you who they are. They're no one you would know anyway being low-ranking members of their respective covens but I still feel the need to protect them from any future retaliation. One of them was stationed at Ordoghaz but was one of the few to escape and I've offered them refuge at one of my outposts."

"I'm glad to hear that you had trouble turning any of my Lycans. Since your informant is dead, I won't press the point and the vampires are not my concern at the moment."

With the tough questions out of the way, the discussion turned to the quantity of supplies needed and estimates on how long they would be there. Corvinus offered to send his helicopters out for more supplies when necessary and assured them he would keep at least one at the jail at all times for emergencies. This assuaged some of Singe's concern about being trapped in the mountains with no way out.

The meeting wrapped up with no further animosity and Tanis went off with Corvinus and his men to give them a tour of the fortress. Apparently, Miller was going to be left here to coordinate between Corvinus and Tanis. If anything happened at the prison, Tanis's fortress would be the fall-back position that they would evacuate to while they decided their next course of action.

Since the main things that could go wrong would probably involve William getting loose or Marcus trying to kill them all, that wasn't a pleasant thought. Technically, there were other possibilities including earthquakes, landslides, and discovery by the Bloods but William escaping was the biggest concern. In his current state, he would kill all of them; humans, Lycans, vampires, and kin without remorse or hesitation.

"Isadore should arrive shortly. Perhaps we should go out and wait for her." Lucian looked at Raze and Singe expectantly and they followed him out obediently. It wasn't a request anyway. Obviously, their alpha had something to tell them that he didn't want the others to hear. With the amount of beings roaming the fortress at the moment, privacy was going to be hard to come by.

Outside, it was still cloudy but the sun was beginning to break through. It was nearly noon but the morning seemed to have flown by with the excitement and uncertainty of meeting Corvinus under more favorable conditions. All three of them sniffed at the air but there was no indication that any car was approaching. The three men stood in companionable silence, waiting for any signs of their new arrival as the wind picked up and the light shimmered through the trees. It looked like it would be a good day and with luck there would be more to come.

A/N: Just to answer the question posed by a couple of reviewers, I have seen all three movies and liked them. However, I'm going to have to ignore the revelation from the third movie about Lucian being the first Lycan to have human form. It won't work with what I have planned but this is an AU after all so that's just one of many differences.


	21. Chapter 21

"Isadore is very interested in our plan to free William. She asked to come with us and offered herself as a guinea pig. I was inclined to say no but she argued enough to convince me otherwise. I think she wants to meet Corvinus as well." Lucian was the one who finally broke the silence.

"Are you sure it's safe to involve her Lucian? She hasn't fought in a very long time." Raze sounded doubtful but as beta it was his duty to worry about the safety of the pack. He was responsible for security measures and Isadore would require the same level of consideration as Lucian.

"Don't be absurd, Raze. She's been fighting every minute of her life. Not every struggle has to be physical. And I want my Lycans to be the majority at the fortress so the more the better. I'd bring even more of us if I thought Corvinus would agree to it."

Lucian wasn't looking at either of them but instead kept his eyes trained on the road leading up to the building. Singe knew exactly what his alpha meant. Isadore was in charge of the main Sanctuary. She was responsible for not only the lives of the Lycans there but those in every Sanctuary. It was a struggle for her not to be out in the field taking on the vampires personally.

Just as Singe sometimes felt inadequate even though his scientific abilities were useful to the Pack, Isadore likely felt useless for staying on the sidelines even though her role was just as important. The next generation of Lycans needed to be protected and they needed planning to keep them safe and discipline to keep them in line so they wouldn't reveal their presence through some foolish mistake.

Isadore was alpha enough to act as the leader to the "civilian" population of Lycans in a way that Lucian often couldn't because his mind and purpose was focused on his master plan to end the war. To some Lycans in countries that were farther away or more remote from the war, Lucian was almost regarded as more of a legend than a real being but Isadore made her presence known through the warriors she trained and the influence she had over the younger generations.

There were females who fought with the other operatives but they were far fewer in numbers than the males. Modern humans might see Lycan society as sexist but in fact, there were no rules restricting a female from fighting except when she was pregnant or nursing. It was simply easier for Lucian to recruit new Lycans from among disillusioned men and females who had been raised in the Sanctuaries and likely never left them were less inclined to want to go out and fight.

That was true of some males too and there were other roles for them as well. Lucian didn't want anyone by his side who didn't want to be there. Although, the females sometimes made better operatives because the vampires were more used to looking for scruffy men rather than women.

They had been waiting nearly thirty minutes before Raze spotted the small car approaching up the hill. He loped down to meet it just to make sure it was really Isadore and not an intruder while Lucian and Singe stayed behind to wait for them. When Raze opened the gate and waved the car through, they knew it was safe and came forward.

Two women emerged from the car, each with a bag under their arm. Lycans learned to travel light and there was no other luggage with them. Singe was startled to see that the other woman was Greta but from the determined look on her face, she was here to see her husband and no one had better be foolish enough to try and stop her.

"Lucian." Both women bowed their heads briefly to their alpha but Greta's eyes were already on the doorway hoping for a glimpse of the mate she hadn't seen in two decades.

"Isadore. Greta. You may go in if you want. I'm sure Anton will be happy to see you." Greta took off like a shot and was gone through the doorway without a word.

"I hope this isn't a problem. I told her Anton had been freed and she insisted on coming along. I didn't see any reason to refuse her."

"No. I'm glad she came. Anton still has some adjusting to do and seeing her again should help. Why don't we go inside and meet the others?"

"How many vampires do I have to put up with while I'm here?" Isadore was sniffing the air and wrinkling her noise in distaste at the heavy scent of vampires over laden with the tracks of multiple Lycans.

"There are currently five in the building as well as Michael who is a hybrid like me. Marcus is out at the moment. There are also six humans including Alexander Corvinus in the building. I expect you'll be at least polite since I don't expect you to be friendly."

"I won't kill them or provoke a fight but I think that may be the extant of my politeness." Lucian actually chuckled at the comment and indicated for her to go inside. Singe bowed his head as she passed but she merely smiled at him. Her thoughts were elsewhere as she mentally prepared herself for meeting with Bloods in a peaceful manner.

Lucian led the way as the three of them escorted her to the meeting room. It was empty except for Tanis who had a particularly old book out on the table and was studying the tiny, cramped script that filled its pages. He looked up as they came in and then put his head down and ignored them all. Obviously, he was still holding a grudge, one he was going to have to get over if he wanted any part in this historic gathering.

Isadore merely sneered slightly. She wasn't impressed by the vampire historian. He was the first vampire she'd seen in person in over two hundred years but he wasn't much of a physical threat. Lucian sent Raze to bring the others back here for another talk. Singe was going to be glad when the talking was over and he actually had the chance to be helpful by beginning his study of William.

It took a while for everyone to trickle in and Lucian waited until they were all present before beginning introductions. Singe watched Isadore's face as each member of the expedition came in. She smiled at each of the Lycans but her face went blank as Erika, Selene, and Michael entered. Michael seemed to interest her but only slightly. As a hybrid, his scent was unique and he was different than Lucian who smelled more of Lycans with an overtone of vampire so she obviously had some interest in the young man who had allowed them to finally create a hybrid.

When Corvinus and his guards entered, her expression changed to one of fascination briefly before she schooled her features into neutrality. Corvinus didn't seem all that interested in her as he took a seat again. He looked bored. Singe had seen a similar expression on Lucian's face when he was waiting to hear the results of a particular endeavor. It meant he was waiting to start the next stage but couldn't act without confirmation of success or failure.

It was interesting that Corvinus seemed impatient to start helping William when his son had been imprisoned for so many centuries. A few more days or weeks of captivity wouldn't matter now. Anton and Greta walked in, wrapped around each other like they couldn't bear to let go. Anton looked dazed as they took a seat on the bench against the wall where they could remain together.

"I would like to introduce Isadore and this is Anton's wife Greta. Isadore will be joining our little expedition." Lucian introduced everyone very briefly and Corvinus's soldiers were referred to merely as his men rather than getting individual names. They didn't look put out by this.

"I'm glad you're here so we can finally get under way. I don't imagine that finding a cure will happen over night but the quicker we get there the better."

"Treatment might be a better word than 'cure.' You know we can't promise anything." Lucian reminded him.

"Yes, I know but I have confidence that modern science will be able to do what any numbers of witch doctors, shamans, and quacks have not." Corvinus raised an eyebrow at Singe's startled expression. "I did tell you all that I tried to help both my sons, did I not? I've gone all over the world investigating possible cures even when they supposedly involved something as ludicrous as magic. I should have known that the only possible answer for their affliction is science."

"We'll see. Are you still planning on leaving tonight?"

"Yes. I have helicopters standing by that will bring us straight to the prison. Unless you have more visitors arriving or some objection?"

"No. Tonight will be fine."

"Then if there's nothing else, we'll see you tonight." Corvinus stood up and left rather abruptly followed by his soldiers. Apparently, the immortal didn't want to spend any more time with them then he had to.

"Lucian, I'd like to come along. I've spent enough time apart from my husband. Do you think Corvinus will mind one more?" It would have been rude for Greta to ask in front of Corvinus as it would have put Lucian on the spot but now that he had made his abrupt withdrawal, she felt free to speak her mind.

"I don't see why not as long as there's room." Lucian sounded pleased with himself. His Lycans were going to be the majority by far at the prison which was exactly the way he wanted it.

"Thank you, Lucian." Anton said. He kept looking at his wife as though she might disappear if he turned away. Although, going to a prison in the middle of nowhere to try and contain a powerful, dangerous beast didn't sound particularly conducive to marital bliss.

The day seemed to fly by for Singe. He busied himself packing up his few belongings again and reading through several of Tanis's books for any reference he could find to William or the prison. Lucian sent Dmitri and Karl out for supplies both for the fortress and the prison. Corvinus might have planned out the scientific aspects of the supplies but he probably underestimated the amount of food this many Lycans were going to need.

By the time the sun began to set, there was a palpable air of purpose in the air. Everyone was excited and on edge and it made the Lycans especially tense. The supplies were already packed into the three trucks that would carry the assorted team members to a private airport where they would be loaded onto the helicopters. Apparently, Corvinus had upped the amount of copters to four in order to accommodate all of them and the supplies. He didn't seem to care that Greta was coming along as well and was clearly preoccupied as they all gathered in the courtyard to say their goodbyes.

Dmitri, Bela, and Stan were staying at the fortress along with Miller. If Tanis was upset to have his home taken over by armed men, he wisely kept his opinion to himself. There wasn't much of a good-bye as they'd already received their instructions. Lucian shook Dmitri's hand and then they all got into their respective vehicles and pulled away.

Singe stared out the window at the dark woods as they headed for the airport. While he felt a certain amount of nervousness over the many unknowns they were heading into, he couldn't help but feel a growing sense of excitement as well. Studying and possibly helping William might just be the culmination of his life's work, even more so than creating the three hybrids.

William was the oldest of the Lycans, the ancestor of all of them. Not only would it be extremely revealing and fascinating to study his biology but Singe's findings might lead to benefits for his people. From what he'd read, William was stronger and faster than modern Lycans. What if that strength and speed could be transferred to other Lycans without the unfortunate side effect of lapsing into an animalistic mindset? It would give the Lycans a huge advantage over the vampires.

It wasn't that Singe doubted Lucian's ability to make peace. His alpha was the most intelligent, charismatic, and forceful person he'd ever met. If there was any way to end the war, Lucian would find it no matter what methods he had to employ.

It was just that he himself didn't trust the vampires in the long term and any thing that benefited his kind had to be considered a positive. Even if their respective leaders declared an end to hostilities, there was still a long history of hatred between the two groups and there were plenty of scores that still needed to be settled. There would probably still be skirmishes now and then and who could say whether any negotiated truce would last for eternity or merely a couple of centuries?

Whatever happened, Singe's loyalty was to the Pack. He didn't consider it treasonous to want to protect his fellow Lycans. Lucian would probably approve if the scientist had ever voiced his opinion out loud. It was all a matter of keeping the upper hand even in secret.

The ride to the airport near the docks didn't take very long. By the time they emerged from the car, Corvinus and his men along with a small army of others were moving the supplies into one of the Lynx helicopters that were standing by for the flight to William's prison.

The Lycans, vampires, and hybrids moved towards the copters aware that many of Corvinus's soldiers were carefully watching them with their weapons at the ready. They obviously were not taking the immortal creatures lightly despite their leader's supposed alliance. It was a sound tactic and more proof that Corvinus's men shouldn't be underestimated despite being mere humans.

It felt odd to Singe to be this close to so many humans. He rarely left his lab and other than test subjects; it had been decades since he'd been in the presence of crowds of humans. Still, while he kept an eye on them the same as the others, he didn't feel all that threatened. If Corvinus wanted them dead then it would have happened by now and none of these men and women would open fire without good cause.

Of course, if Marcus chose this moment to come swooping down from the skies then there was always the chance of conflict. The thought made him cast a wary glance upwards but there was no sign of the hybrid. Some of the soldiers were looking upward too. Obviously they were aware of the possibility of attack from above.

The air smelled of oil and metal mixed with the hint of salt air from the nearby docks. It was unlikely that the Lycans would be able to smell an intruder approaching unless the wind was in their favor. It wasn't just Marcus they had to worry about. There was always the slight possibility that there were vampires in the area. The covens were supposed to be on lockdown but there could be a patrol who hadn't received the call to return yet or even one on their way back who decided to investigate the commotion occurring at such an odd hour.

Still, Corvinus had managed to evade detection all this time so he obviously knew what he was doing. Singe climbed into the copter behind Raze with a sense of relief. He didn't mind flying and could tolerate it more than some of the older Lycans who saw it as unnatural. Which was rather amusing coming from beings that could shapeshift. Also, Lycans tended to dislike small, closed-in spaces where their wolf might feel trapped but that was a feeling that could be ignored for the relatively short ride to Romania.

Singe would just be happier when they were in the air and especially when they landed. The urge to examine William and start studying his unique genetic qualities was growing with every step forward. It felt good to actually be doing something and to have a plan rather than just moving from place to place while the situation kept changing around them.

They would likely be at the prison for quite some time and all his attention would be focused on the problem at hand. He could forget all the power plays and the fear of discovery and just worry about unraveling the mystery of his Lycan ancestors. Lucian and Raze would probably have to remind him to eat and rest as he tended to get obsessive when he was tackling a new puzzle.

The blades began to whirl once everyone was secure and in short order they lifted off. Lucian, Raze, and Isadore were in the copter with him and Isadore seemed nervous. He doubted she had ever flown before. She had her eyes closed and was taking small, slow breaths as she tried to control the feeling of panic. Without a word, Lucian took her hand in his and squeezed it which made her smile slightly without opening her eyes.

Singe was always fascinated by how different the world looked from this high up. There was little to see at this time of night but they could see lights from the human towns as they passed over them. How small and isolated they all looked even though there were far more of them then any of the vampire or Lycan communities. He didn't miss his life as a human. Both his research and his abilities as a Lycan were far more interesting and useful than anything he'd been able to achieve as a mortal.

The four helicopters flew in a rough line as they passed over the border into Romania. They would land one at a time, unload, and then leave for the next one to arrive. There was only so much room at the site and it would be harder at night so they'd decided this was the best solution even though it meant the first group on the ground would be alone and vulnerable until the second one arrived.

Corvinus had sent in his soldiers first. They would secure the perimeter and make sure the landing was safe for the rest of them. The one that Singe was in would land third after the Lycan soldiers in the second one had established a perimeter of their own. The fourth copter carried Corvinus, Selene, Michael, Erika, and Dr. Jablonksi who would not be allowed to land unless both sets of guards agreed it was safe.

Their aircraft got word that they were approaching the prison. The soldiers had already landed and the second party was setting down now. He stared out the window but all that could be seen of the building was a dark outline that was nearly lost among the dark mountain peaks. The soldiers had made a small ring of flares to make the landing site easier to see but their light revealed nothing of the building itself, only a flat plain of paved stones.

Singe couldn't see the Lycans who had embarked from the second copter but he knew what they would be doing. Half of them would be shifting and loping out past the soldiers to sniff around for danger. The other half would form a smaller ring around the landing site to protect the alphas when they emerged. The second chopper took off and then it was their turn.

He didn't feel nervous at all as the helicopter landed and they piled out of it. The waiting soldiers quickly unloaded the gear from the back and piled it to the side. Singe didn't have time to take note of his surroundings as he was hustled along with the others off the landing pad and out of the way so their transport could depart.

The silence after it left seemed very deep. Everything was still and black around them. Other than the flares, the humans had lights attached to their rifles but they didn't penetrate far into the blackness. Marcus could have been ten feet away and they wouldn't see him. Although, some of the humans were equipped with infrared sensors in their goggles and they didn't seem to be alarmed.

A Lycan in his wolfen form loped over to Lucian and saluted clumsily with one huge, clawed hand. Karl shifted back and crouched naked by the four of them. He looked a little spooked but this place was very strange so far so it wasn't surprising.

"Sir, we haven't seen any sign of Marcus yet. This place smellls like vampires but nothing recent. I think they haven't been here in a very long time. But there's another odor by some of the sealed entrances that isn't like anything I've ever smelled before. It's like a Lycan but different somehow. I can't really describe it."

"That's fine. How many entrances are there?"

"We've found two but they're both sealed. One is a large, double door at the front of the structure and the other is a small recess on the east side with a door that looks like a servant's entrance. Anton and Greta are still scouting out the other side."

"Very well. Tell me if you find anything else." Karl saluted again, shifted effortlessly, and ran on all fours back towards the building. Lucian preferred more formality from his underlings in situations like this where it was important for him to look every bit the leader of an entire population of immortals.

The fourth helicoptor touched down and everyone tensed. If an attack came it would likely be when Corvinus emerged far enough from the rotating blades to be vulnerable. Selene and Michael walked out followed by Alexander and then Erika. The three of them seemed to be acting as a protective guard for the older man. Selene had her gun out and she scanned the darkness as intently as the rest of them.

The Lycans completed the circuit of the building and came back to report that they'd found four entryways in total but all of them seemed to be sealed shut. Three of them were small entrances so it was obvious that the double doors were meant to be the front entrance. They needed to find a way inside before sunrise or the vampires would be in trouble.

Lucian, Raze, and Corvinus examined the massive doors. They were made of thick oak reinforced by iron workings and covered all over with small silver spikes. There were no apparent handles and a strong push by Lucian proved that they were securely fastened as they didn't even move for his considerable strength.

"We could blow them open. My men packed a variety of explosives in their gear." Corvinus suggested.

"We don't know what that might do to the structural integrity of the walls. I think they can be opened from the inside so we just need to figure out how to get someone inside. There may be openings on the roof or perhaps an accessible window."

Singe looked up as many of them did at the suggestion, trying to see the upper heights which were lost in shadows. He thought he was seeing things when one of the shadows moved but then one of the humans gave a low shout as a gargoyle-like shape crawled down the length of the wall. No one moved as it let go and glided down to land near the group. Marcus had finally shown himself and for once he actually looked happy.

"What took you so long?"


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: The layout of the prison is going to be different than it was in the second movie due to artistic license.

"How long have you been here, Marcus? Have you found a way in?" Lucian chose to ignore the theatrics of Marcus's entrance and focus on the important matters at hand.

"There are no entrances besides these doors and Selene's memories tell me that they are merely decoration. Perhaps she remembers where the real entrance is located?" Marcus turned his gaze to Selene who looked uncomfortable as she studied the door.

It made sense that Marcus would remember more than her. As an Elder, he had experience in gaining new memories and organizing them every time he was awoken from his casket. Selene kept her gun in one hand as she walked up to the door and laid a hand on the wood between the thick spikes. She shuddered slightly and then turned to face them.

"He's right. The doors are meant to distract any invaders. There's nothing but stone behind them. The actual entrance was underneath by boat. The river flows beneath the building."

"Not anymore. One of the landslides diverted it. There's only a dry riverbed left." Marcus sounded rather smug at knowing more than them even though they'd only been here for thirty minutes. He did enjoy any opportunity to feel superior whether because of his aristocratic background or because he'd been unable to fully express himself under Viktor and Amelia's watchful eye.

"Well that should make it easier to get in. Let's go take a look." The lights that the soldiers carried illuminated the path as they all headed towards what they'd thought was the back of the building. The stony ground broke off into a steep but short cliff. Singe peered over the edge with the others as they looked down at the dry river bed.

There was no way to see the opening from here as the overhang on the cliff blocked their view but it wasn't a huge drop, perhaps thirty feet or so. Most Lycans could make it with ease and he was sure the humans were trained in rappelling down rough areas. The only problem would be moving the sensitive equipment down and into the prison. But they would worry about that after they'd explored the interior and found William's cell.

Marcus volunteered to go down first. It was easy enough for him to fly down and land on the floor of the channel. He disappeared under the cliff and they all waited impatiently for him to return. It was only a few minutes later when he flew back up to them looking pleased.

"There's a large grate in the way but it looks rusty and it shouldn't be difficult to remove it. There looks to be a wooden door beyond that but I'm sure we can get through them."

"All right. Let's see what we can do." Lucian simply clambered down the rocks with no effort. Raze followed him down and the others were left to make their own way down as best they could. Most of the soldiers stayed behind at Corvinus's orders. Timlim and Dr. Jablonski accompanied him as they made their way down. Both of the soldiers shouldered heavy packs and set up ropes off of one particular crag of rock. They lowered Alexander down carefully before descending expertly themselves.

Singe packed a small bag with a sampling kit and medical supplies before leaving the rest of his equipment under the watchful eyes of Anton and Greta and began climbing down. He wasn't as strong as some of the others but it wasn't difficult to find things to hold onto as he made his way down the side of the rocky bank. When he was close enough to the bottom, he let go and jumped the remaining distance, stumbling only slightly as his boots hit the dry soil.

The others were already down and waiting for him but none of them showed any signs of impatience. Marcus was already testing the grate which was covered in small silver spikes just like the fake entrances above. The silver gleamed among the rust and about ten feet further on in the tunnel were two thick wooden doors.

The grate itself was tall as it had originally blocked the tunnel both above and below the water. Marcus was already trying to open it. His back arched as he pulled at it with all of his strength. The metal creaked and shuddered and dust trickled down from the stone walls on either side but nothing else happened. The foundation was too solid to yield even to the strength of an immortal hybrid.

"The gate was drawn up when we entered. Perhaps if we try pushing it up, we'll be more successful." Selene suggested as she, Michael, and Lucian joined him. Raze and Isadore had to reluctantly stay back as the silver would burn them if they were to join in. Raze looked unhappy about letting Lucian go first but he had no choice.

Singe thought Marcus would be touchy about needing help but apparently in his eagerness to get to his brother, he was willing to accept any help he could get. The four of them hooked their hands into the metal and pulled upward.

For a few moments, nothing happened. Then there was the groan of long unused gears moving and the grate slowly moved upward. It went up about three feet and then stalled. They strained to push it any further but the mechanisms were so rusted that it was amazing they'd managed to move it even that much.

"Perhaps someone should get inside and find the mechanism to lift it the rest of the way." Selene suggested. Most of them could fit under the small space but Raze and Timlin were too large to slide underneath.

"I'll do it." Erika offered and they all turned to her with a look of surprise. Most of them had barely even noticed she was there and they would never expect her to volunteer for anything.

"All right. But don't whine if you get your pretty clothes dirty. And don't dawdle." Selene looked like she would have preferred to go in herself but they needed her memories to guide them. Better to let a more expendable member of the expedition enter in case of traps.

Erika merely rolled her eyes and then wasted no time getting down on the ground and sliding carefully under the sharp spikes. She stood up on the other side and made a show of dusting herself off before heading towards the stone walls to find a way up.

They all watched as she found some handholds in the cracked stone walls and disappeared into the shadows above. They waited a couple of minutes and then there was the clink of chains moving and the grate began drawing upward again. It pulled all the way up into the rocky ceiling before grinding to a stop. Erika jumped down from the ledge with a smug smile.

"Very good, my dear. It appears you're not as useless as I first thought." Marcus commented as he stalked past, ignoring the petulant frown she gave at the backhanded compliment.

The ground was relatively smooth, worn down from the flowing water that had carved this natural tunnel out for centuries. The river must have been diverted quite some time ago as the walls and ground beneath them were all dry and any moss or water plants had died off long ago. Singe spotted a small white object in the dirt at his feet which proved to be the skull of a fish. It crunched easily under his boots, evidence that it had been there for a while.

The wooden doors were set into more stone and they looked secure but thankfully they lacked the silver spikes of the other doors. Ledges ran along the side of the wall at what must have been water level at some point and there were runs of chains and levers that controlled the grate behind them.

It appeared that the doors were meant to be opened from the inside. There were no handles on this side and the doors were thick oak bound in iron. Raze took the initiative this time and pushed on them with his full might. They creaked in protest and shifted slightly but that was all.

It wasn't until some of the others joined him that they had success. Under the strength of two vampires, three hybrids, and two Lycans, the doors finally gave way. Wood splintered and metal groaned as it was twisted out of place. The doors collapsed inward, tearing from their hinges under the stress.

Marcus pushed past the jagged edges impatiently despite Lucian's suggestion that they take it slow. The humans ran their flashlights over the space beyond. Stairs led up to a platform which must have acted as a dock when the water level was an issue.

All of them followed behind Marcus with Raze and the human soldiers taking up defensive positions around the core group as they went up into the prison. They all assembled at the platform on top where a smaller wooden door was the only way in. It proved to be no obstacle.

The stone tunnel they entered was wide enough for three people to walk abreast. As they progressed down it, doors and tunnels were present at regular intervals but they all knew that William would be in the deepest part of the prison and the main corridor seemed to be leading them in the right direction so they all kept on it without bothering to discuss it. If they were going in the wrong direction, they could always backtrack.

Corvinus's men did shine their flashlights down several of the tunnels but there was little to be seen and no furnishings or decorations to distinguish one direction from another.

When they had the time, they would explore everything more fully but now they needed to find William and then locate a suitable place to set up a temporary base of operations. It needed to be defendable and it needed to accommodate the presence of three different species, four if you counted the hybrids as a new race.

The hallway beyond seemed to stretch quite a ways and the dust swirled up by their passage made Singe suppress a sneeze. The not-quite-Lycan odor was stronger here so they must be heading closer to William's location. The walls held old torches and one of Corvinus's men lit a few here and there as they passed. This provided enough light for everyone to see without stumbling.

Selene seemed increasingly uneasy as they headed deeper into the prison and kept turning her head back and forth as though she were searching for something. It seemed as though they'd been walking for quite some time but Marcus had taken the lead and seemed determined to find his brother as soon as possible.

"Are you sure we're going the right way, Marcus? This place is quite large and William could be anywhere inside it." Lucian kept a careful distance from Marcus in case he should suddenly turn violent in his impatience.

"They imprisoned him as deep as possible to prevent his escape. I know where he is. I can feel him. I can smell him. I will find him with or without your help."

The corridor had been going steadily downhill and now began to curve to the right. They came around the curve to find an iron door in their way. This one was not going to be as easy to get by as the wooden ones and it was studded with the same silver spikes that they'd seen previously.

Undaunted, Marcus strode up to it, seized the ring on the door and pulled with all his might. Nothing happened and after a minute of straining, he stopped in frustration. Growling low to himself, he tested the hinges and the frame but couldn't seem to find any weak spots.

"You! Do you have any explosives on you?" Marcus wheeled around to address the closest human soldier who ignored him and turned to Corvinus instead.

"Sir, explosives wouldn't be recommended in this area. It may bring the walls down on us."

"Agreed but there must be a way to get through. I would hate to have to try some of the side tunnels and get lost in a maze of corridors." Alexander ignored his irate son and studied the door carefully.

"Let me try. I think I remember something." Selene came forward and Marcus stepped aside to let her pass. She stood in front of the door and ran her hands over the surface. As though by instinct, she tapped several random spots on the door and suddenly there was a soft click and the door swung open. "My father enjoyed designing puzzles."

All of them relaxed a little as another crisis was averted. The closer they got to William, the more agitated Marcus looked. Selene was smiling at the memory of her father and his engineering skills but Marcus brushed past her without a word of thanks.

The door opened up onto another platform with stairs leading down to a huge chamber. The air smelled of water so strongly that even the humans could detect it. The chamber was stone and the lights of their torches couldn't find the edges of it. But when they aimed them down the stairs, the beams wavered in the rippling water that covered the stairs about a third of the way down.

"Shit. This isn't good." Michael said as he edged forward to peer down at the flooded room. Singe had to agree. Lycans were tough to kill but they could drown as readily as any other oxygen-breathing creature. If William was underwater then he would surely be dead. Perhaps the vampires had done this before they left or perhaps the diverted river had filled in other channels. Either way, this was a large obstacle in their path and they had to figure out how to get by it.

"The water doesn't look very deep. I'll go down and test it." Marcus was already starting down the stairs before anyone could react. Nothing was going to stop him from reaching William. He paused long enough to take off his boots and then walked barefoot into the water.

"Wait! Take one of the flashlights at least. They're waterproof." Corvinus called out to him. Marcus paused without turning around but when Dr. Jablonski walked down the stairs to hand him one of the headlamps, he took it and strapped it on.

They were all watching his slow progress through the waist deep water except Selene who was examining the walls on either side of the door. Singe was curious enough to keep glancing at her as she ran her hands over what looked like stains...but no. They weren't stains, they were childish drawings done in chalk. He could see that now as he took a few steps towards her.

There were flowers in yellow and white clouds. They were faded from centuries of exposure but they were still discernable. Selene reached up and touched them with careful fingers. Her back was rigid and she didn't appear happy at this evidence of her childhood.

Michael was the only other one who noticed and he came over to put his arms around her and speak softly in her ear. As she returned his embrace, Singe retreated back to the main group to give them some privacy. The drawings showed they were on the right track but they were less important than finding a way past the flooded section.

Marcus was chest-deep now but the water didn't seem to be getting any deeper. If the ground was stable, then they should be able to make it across. Getting the equipment in would be trickier but there were ways of making it work. Singe grimaced at the thought of having to swim through the cold water but he wasn't going to be left behind.

The wavering light paused at the far wall and for several moments, Marcus was still and then he turned and raced back towards them as fast as he could through the water. Everyone went into defensive positions but when he got close enough, they could see he was thrilled rather than fleeing some unknown danger.

"It's there! The first lock to his prison is right there. I knew this was the right way."

Marcus was practically giddy as he clambered back up onto the stairs and shook himself off. He didn't seem to care that he was soaking wet or that they all needed to get across the room before they could go any further. All that mattered was that they were one step closer to finding William.

"If anyone wants to stay here, say so now." Corvinus said. "Otherwise, we should get moving." He seemed almost as anxious now as Marcus but it was understandable. He hadn't seen William in a very long time and had to be wondering, like the rest of them, what sort of shape his son would be in when they found him.

William probably was still alive despite the flooding because that odd scent was still present in the air and it was definitely the scent of something alive. Lycans could go a long time without feeding but long-term starvation usually led to feral behavior. Since William was already in an animal-like state of mind, that wouldn't be an issue.

The vampires had probably fed him while they were here so he hadn't gone the whole time without food and water. But it had probably been quite a while since his last feeding and that might increase his hostility. Singe couldn't help but feel anxious over what they might find.

To his surprise, one of Corvinus's men pulled out a small package from his backpack that proved to be an inflatable raft. Apparently, they were prepared for anything. A quick discussion put Corvinus in the raft along with Erika who didn't seem to relish the idea of getting wet. Corvinus's two men would guide the raft across the room. The rest of them would swim or wade across on their own.

"Singe, why don't you come with me?" Raze asked as he stood next to the scientist, watching the others make their way down the stairs. It took him a moment for Singe to realize what Raze was offering as the beta crouched beside him.

Singe was an adequate swimmer but it was a long way and being wet would only make him cold and miserable. But if he rode piggy-back on the much-larger Lycan, he could make it across without getting too wet. It was a little embarrassing but convenience was more important than appearance so he agreed and wrapped his arms around Raze's thick neck.

Raze stood up without effort and went down to join the others as Singe carefully balanced on his back without digging his heels in too much. Raze made his way across the water slowly but they were all taking their time. Marcus had made the trip safely but there could still be hidden obstacles under the water. They tried to take the same course that he had but there was no way of knowing whether a step in the wrong direction would make them stumble or fall.

Luckily, they all reached the far wall without incident. The flashlight played over the thick stone walls and the intricate metal grate that blocked their way. The water continued on the other side but the tunnel sloped slightly upward so it wasn't as deep.

"The lock is just under the water's surface. Give me the pieces and I'll open it."

"We'll do it together." Corvinus said as he pulled the second half of the key out of his pocket. Lucian took the amulet from around his neck and handed it over with only a hint of regret. It was his last gift from Sonja but it served a more important purpose now then sentimentality.

Alexander worked the hidden mechanisms until the two clicked together as one. Marcus moved aside and let his father fumble for the lock. He fitted the key in and turned it. There was the rumble of dormant machinery and the grate slid upwards to disappear into a slot in the ceiling. Corvinus removed the key and handed it to Lucian for safekeeping. Marcus didn't comment on his father's lack of trust as they all resumed their path.

Singe had to get down off of Raze's shoulders but the water was only knee-deep here so it wasn't as bad. The tunnel smelled of dampness and mold but looked to be in good shape. There was no sign of collapse or loose stones. It sloped gradually upward until they were out of the water and into a dry area. The Lycan smell was stronger here and seemed to be getting stronger.

There were no side routes from this path so they kept following it straight until they came to another metal door. The key worked on this one as well and Marcus seemed delighted.

"There are three locks to William's prison. That means there's only one more and that should be his own cell. We're very close." He drew in a deep breath, inhaling that familiar smell, before going through the entrance.

Inside was a large chamber and imbedded in the far wall was a metal structure that reminded Singe of an iron maiden. It was vaguely human-shaped but quite large as if it were modeled after someone the size of Raze. It looked to be made of pure silver and there was a small disc in the chest where the key could be inserted. A grill around the mouth area was the only visible opening. As they got closer, the smell was overwhelming and Singe felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up straight.

He couldn't help the way his heart was pounding in sudden fear. William would slaughter them all without a second of thought or remorse if he got loose. A low growl rose from inside the metal door and there was the panting sound of someone sniffing at the air.

"This is the door to William's cell?" Alexander asked. There was a note of horror in his voice as he studied the contraption. Marcus gave him an angry glare and shook his head.

"No, father. This is William's cell. He's been imprisoned inside of this torture device all these years."

"What?" Everyone stopped in shock and confusion. All of them had expected William to be in a typical cell where it would be easier to contain him and keep an eye on him. But how were they supposed to keep him contained when they needed to open the metal coffin to take samples?

"You knew about this and didn't tell the rest of us?" Alexander rounded on Marcus with a furious expression. His two men had their guns out and pointed in the Elder hybrid's direction. Marcus simply sneered at his father.

"Did you think he was in some comfortable cell with a bed and a nice little nightstand? Viktor and Amelia needed to make sure there was no way he could escape. Everything we passed through on the way here was designed to keep him from leaving even if he escaped his cell. He was meant to rot down here for eternity.

Besides, I wasn't completely sure until I saw it for myself. Viktor might have been lying when he taunted me with descriptions of my brother's condition. I see now that his cruelty needed no exaggeration."

"What are we going to do now?" Selene said. "We can't let him out of there."

"We may be able to find a place where he can be shut in without chance of escape while Singe conducts his experiments. For now, I think the best choice is to obtain some samples so we can get this started as soon as possible."

Corvinus reached into his coat pocket and withdrew one of the gas canisters he'd shown them back in the fortress. If they could direct it through the grill, they might be able to sedate him long enough for Singe to take some samples.

As if sensing his visitors for the first time, William let out a huge roar that was magnified in the round chamber and made most of them jump. Marcus dared to come forward and placed his hands on the front of the coffin. Snarls and growls were emitted from within as huge claws scraped uselessly at the walls inside.

"Peace, brother. It's me, Marcus. I've come to help you but you must be still." The movement inside ceased and instead there was a whuffling sound as William sniffed at the air and recognized his brother's scent.

"We have to hurry. He won't be calm for long." Marcus whispered and they all moved to leave the room so Corvinus could set off the gas. Lucian had to herd Marcus out as he was reluctant to leave his brother's side but the gas would affect him too and they all needed to be conscious for this next part.

Alexander taped the gas canister to the grill with some sort of timer. Tape over it meant the gas wouldn't be able to escape and William would get the full dose. Singe waited with the rest as the gas went off inside. They wouldn't know for sure if it worked until they opened the door.

The only ones who went inside with Singe were Marcus, Corvinus, Lucian, and Raze. The two humans didn't want to let him in on his own but he insisted. They needed as few people in the chamber as possible so Singe would have room to work. Also if William got loose, the handful of them would be the only ones in danger.

It wasn't something he wanted to think about but Singe found himself grateful for the weight of the gun at his hip. It probably wouldn't do much against an enraged Lycan but it made him feel better than going unarmed would. And perhaps, Marcus could keep William calm even if he was still awake. William seemed to listen to his twin.

They were all fitted with gas masks as they entered the room one at a time. There was no sound from the silver door. Marcus inserted the key into the hole and turned it to the left. The click of unlocking pistons seemed unnaturally loud.

When the door swung open, all Singe could do was stare at the sight of the unconscious Lycan wrapped in silver chains that held him upright. Not only was William larger than Raze but his fur was pure white making him look more like a polar bear than a werewolf. Singe had never seen anything like him and apparently neither had the others who all seemed too shocked to move. All except Marcus who moved forward to cup his brother's huge jaw in his hand.

"Behold. William Corvinus, the first Lycan."


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The small, mixed group stood staring at William Corvinus for several minutes. There was something beyond the odd smell and the white fur that made him different than any Lycan they'd seen before. He was the oldest of them and yet he was so much more primitive and powerful than Lucian or any of the others. It was a fascinating contrast.

"My son." Alexander said softly with genuine sorrow in his voice. If he had acted earlier, could he have spared William all these years of torment? Perhaps, but he probably wouldn't be able to find a cure on his own and would have needed to keep William restrained and captive as much as Viktor and Amelia had. The chains might have been used with kinder intent but the captivity would have remained the same.

"Singe, you need to take your samples quickly before he wakes." Lucian's low voice roused Singe from the stupor he'd felt ever since he saw William. He moved forward carefully. Marcus made room for him but he left one hand on his brother's arm in an attempt to comfort him even in unconsciousness.

Singe moved with deliberate motions as he took blood, tissue, and skin samples. He didn't want to look threatening to Marcus. Urine samples would have been useful as well but he didn't know how Marcus would react to that and it would take longer than he intended to take to thread the catheter needle so he left it for another time. The samples he had now were sufficient.

The bottom of the silver cell was grated so waste would fall through. It was an ingenious design for a cell even in its cruelty. It had obviously been designed to hold William for eternity if necessary. The top of the cell had what looked like a small sluice which probably provided water to clean the cell and its lone inhabitant. It was surprisingly clean and there was no smell apart from William's own.

The small amount of blood from his sample sites stained the white fur but he was careful to make sure the bleeding stopped as quickly as possible. After he had the samples, he did as thorough an exam as he could of William's condition. The Lycan appeared healthy enough. He didn't look underweight and his coat showed no sign of malnutrition.

Singe had to stand on his tiptoes to examine the serrated teeth and he was only able to reach it because William's head was lolling on his chest. If he were standing upright, he would dwarf Singe by close to two feet. He was taller than Raze and leaner, appearing to be all muscle. His teeth looked in good condition too.

Singe reached to check his pupils and it was then that William's eyes opened and he seemed to be looking straight at the scientist. He froze in perfect, rabbit-like stillness but the pink gaze was unfocused and after a moment the eyes closed again. It had just been a reflex reaction but it was also a sign that the gas was beginning to wear off. Singe backed away and closed his bag.

"I'm done." Lucian nodded in acknowledgment and then moved towards Marcus carefully.

"I realize this is difficult, Marcus but we need to close the lid before he wakes up." He waited for Marcus to move so they could use the key to lock William in again. Marcus simply looked at him coldly.

"I was going to say I just wanted one more minute with him after all these centuries but if you're all scared then I suppose I can compromise." Marcus whispered something softly to his brother and then slammed the lid shut himself. The click of the key turning in the lock, condemning his brother to continued imprisonment, seemed to echo in the small chamber.

"There's just one more thing to do." Marcus curled his hands around the small grill and ripped it free from the door leaving a small, jagged opening about the size of a paperback book.

"What was that for?" Lucian didn't look too pleased.

"We have to provide him with food and water and unless you wish to open the cell every day, this will have to do. We can pass nourishment through it and never have to open it until the good doctor finds a cure. He won't be able to escape through it, if that's what you're worried about."

"No, you should just explain things before you do them."

"Should I ask for a vote on every little decision I make? Nothing will ever get done if that's how you want it." Lucian narrowed his eyes at the sneering tone in the older hybrid's tone but before he could reply there was a huffing sound from William's cell and they could all hear him beginning to move as he woke up.

"Gentlemen, I suggest we leave for now and let William recover. I doubt he'll be in a good mood once he wakes up." Corvinus motioned towards the door and they all headed back out to confer with the others.

"How did it go?" Isadore asked as soon as they were all out of the room. Everyone else looked eager to hear what they had to say as well. This whole expedition was a historic moment for all three species and they were all hoping for positive news.

"It went well. Singe got his samples. William is locked up again for now but there's hope that it won't be forever."

"We should go back. The sooner Singe can begin analyzing his samples, the sooner my brother can receive his cure."

"I don't want to leave him alone right now. Knowing you're here might make him restless. I'd prefer if he were guarded for his own safety." Corvinus looked at Marcus as though he expected a challenge but Marcus simply shrugged.

"Very well. I'm staying, of course but who else do you plan to leave behind?"

"I'll stay, sir." Ruiz spoke up and Marcus gave the human a rather searching look.

"Just know that if my brother tries to escape and you feel the need to shoot him, then he won't be the only one you'll have to worry about."

"All my men are trained in non-lethal techniques for subduing Lycans and vampires. I didn't come this far to lose William so easily."

"I can stay too. A Lycan would have a better chance of getting through to William if anything happens and a pair of guards would be better than one." Isadore offered calmly but the low growl that escaped Lucian showed what he thought of the situation.

"I won't let you take the risk. Raze can stay until I can send one of the others in."

"What risk? The odds of William escaping after all this time are remote. And we both know I'm more powerful than Raze. I'm the best choice and it would only be temporary. I doubt it will take more than a few hours for a substitute to reach us and take my place."

Lucian never liked to be questioned in front of outsiders, even by Isadore and he didn't look very happy now but everything she was saying made sense. She might not be as big as Raze but as one of the oldest Lycans around, she was more powerful than the beta Lycan. Marcus seemed amused by their little argument while everyone else just looked uncomfortable.

"Fine. But you're to leave as soon as the replacement gets here." Lucian hadn't given in so much as he'd postponed their argument to a more private place. It was easier to let Isadore have her way for now than to waste time discussing it. The odds were low that anything would happen but he was loath to put her in any danger at all.

Singe should have been exhausted by their long trek and the whirlwind of the past few days but he'd always been energized in the face of a new puzzle and now was no exception. His thoughts whirled as he tried to decide how best to analyze his samples as quickly as possible. He barely noticed the return journey across the lake, again clinging to Raze to keep his bag out of the water.

The hybrid test would be the easiest and fastest so he would start with that. But even if it was positive as he assumed it would be, that didn't mean it would help William. There was no guarantee that becoming a hybrid would allow William to regain human sense. He might simply be a more powerful creature with the mind of a bloodthirsty animal and the attributes of both vampires and Lycans.

Still, if the test worked, it would be a good beginning. Knowing that William's DNA was compatible with vampire DNA would allow him to shape the direction of his research. He just hoped that he would be able to make some breakthroughs pretty quickly before Marcus got too impatient.

He was sure that seeing his brother for the first time would only increase Marcus's desire to cure him. He would not be willing to wait a year or more to see results no matter what he'd promised before. Singe would have to work fast and show at least some signs of progress to satisfy Marcus.

The trek back was quicker than the cautious passage they'd made to reach William as they were aware of their route now. They were in the tunnel leading back to the dock when Selene stopped in her tracks causing Michael to almost run into her before catching himself.

"Wait! I remember something. I need to see…" Without another word, the vampire turned down a tunnel to her right and disappeared out of sight. Michael followed her but the rest of them halted uncertainly. Should they go after her or wait here? What had she remembered that was so important? After nearly ten minutes, Michael came back looking rather dusty and out of breath.

"She wants to show you something." He said to both Lucian and Alexander. Corvinus motioned for the rest of them to wait and went with Michael while Lucian hesitated and then followed suit. Raze and Singe looked at each other and went after their alpha without question.

The tunnel was dark and smelled musty and unused. He couldn't see anything unusual about it to distinguish it from any of the other corridors they'd passed on their way here. The tunnel ended in a wooden door that sagged on its hinges and was easily pushed aside.

Selene was standing in the circular room beyond. It was empty except for a large stone table. There were empty niches carved into the wall. Selene stood with her hands flat on the table and a distant look in her eyes.

"What is this place, Selene?" Lucian sniffed the air and looked around, wondering with the rest of them why they'd been brought here.

"This was my father's office. I remember playing in here as a child. I think it might make a good lab for Singe."

Singe evaluated the room with a careful eye. It was a good size and the table was convenient. The niches allowed for storage. It could work although he'd been hoping for something with a window. It's proximity to the dock was good as well as it would allow for an easy escape if necessary. He didn't like having only one way in or out though. It made him feel trapped.

"That's good of you to offer but I think we need to scout the whole building out before deciding on where to set up shop." Lucian seemed pleased that Selene had actually offered the room to Singe but the scientist wasn't impressed. She was trying to make herself useful because her emotional state was distracting her right now and she wanted to feel like she was contributing. "We'll keep it in mind, though."

"I can send my men to search the place and make a map of everything. It shouldn't take too long." Corvinus offered. With modern technology, they could easily map the entire prison within hours.

"That's a good idea. The sun will be up soon so you and Erika should come back here before dawn. It's well protected from the sun." Selene made a face at the idea of having to share a room with her fellow vampire but they didn't have time to scout out more areas. They needed to make arrangements to start the exploration of the building and decide on proper security measures now that they had a better idea what they were dealing with.

They headed back to the others and made their way back out of the prison. Singe breathed in the fresh air outside and sighed at the idea of being cooped up in the moldy, dusty rooms within. The thrill of scientific discovery would help to distract him from his surroundings but it reminded him of all those years of living in the sewers. He would have to find time to take breaks and go outside when he could.

As they made it back outside, he saw Anton and Greta waiting for them at the top of the bank. They both looked like they were bursting with questions but they knew better than to waste time shouting them out when Lucian would explain everything once they were back up the slope.

It took a little longer for all of them to make their way up the slope to where the others were waiting. They were definitely going to have to figure out a way to make the trek in and out of the castle a little easier. Maybe the exploration of the prison would reveal a hidden door that would allow better access. He could only hope so.

"Henryk! Get over here." Lucian snapped as soon as he was back up top. The Lycan came loping over and crouched in front of Lucian, probably wondering whether he was in trouble. "As soon as I finish explaining everything, I want you to follow our trail back through the castle and relieve Isadore. Understand?"

"Yes, Lucian."

"Good." They waited while the others assembled. Besides his core group of four, Corvinus had brought a dozen men and women who would act as guards both outside and inside the prison thus thwarting Lucian's attempt to have the Lycans be the most numerous at the site. The seventeen humans outnumbered the seven Lycans, three hybrids, and two vampires but if it ever came down to a fight, Singe was confident that the humans would lose.

He barely listened as Lucian and Alexander took turns explaining what they had found and made plans for how to proceed now that they knew what they were dealing with. They would have to keep security at the door to William's cell at all times. It was agreed that this would include at least one human and one Lycan who would work in six hour shifts.

Corvinus picked three teams of two to map out the fortress with GPS units and produce an exact map of every tunnel and feature within. Then they would decide where to set up their camps. They would need several suitable rooms to use as barracks, a kitchen and dining area, bathrooms, storage, a medical facility, and a lab for Singe.

No one knew how long they were going to be here but they were all prepared for a long stay. Continued supplies could be brought in by helicopter but when it came down to it, everything depended on Singe.

Once he'd discovered a way to help William and successfully implemented it, their stay would be over. The scientist in him refused to believe that there was nothing that could be done. It was just a matter of how and how long and his mind was already awash with everything that needed to be done.

When they had finished their speech, the teams headed straight for the entrance to begin their mapping while most of the others returned to guarding the perimeter. One of Corvinus's men was setting up motion detectors and sophisticated equipment to detect any intruders approaching by either land or air.

They were also working on making the trip down into the riverbed easier. Two of the humans were setting up rope ladders for now while they argued about where was the best place to try carving a path. Dawn would be upon them soon so Selene and Erika headed back inside, shouldering their bags and followed by Michael who preferred their company.

Singe felt restless as he watched the humans go about their work with efficiency. Until he could get some of his equipment set up somewhere he couldn't start any of the experiments he had in mind. He hoped it wouldn't be too long before someone found somewhere suitable.

To pass the time, he carefully transported his bags to the top of the cliff so they'd be as close to the entrance as possible. Then he sat cross-legged next to them and began rearranging the contents, pulling out the things he would need first and putting them on top. By the time he was done, the sun was beginning to shine and the humans were shutting off the lights they were forced to use in the absence of Lycan senses.

Revealed in the morning light, the prison looked just as imposing as before. The full scope of it could be seen and it was amazing that something so large and elaborate had been created for the sole purpose of imprisoning the first Lycan. Selene's father had really done a good job at designing something that was functional and yet gave no outward clue to its true purpose. This could just as easily have been an old fortress or a castle as a prison.

Singe was aware of Alexander Corvinus's approach well before the immortal ever got anywhere near him but he didn't react until the older man sat down next to him. Singe kept watching the humans patrolling the perimeter while he waited for Corvinus to say what was on his mind.

"So, doctor. You've seen William now. Do you still think he can be helped?"

Singe turned his head to look at Alexander. The older man's face was impassive but any Lycan could smell the anxiety on him.

"Yes. His appearance doesn't change anything. It's only his genes that matter. May I ask you a question?" At Alexander's cautious nod, Singe went on. "Was William an albino as a human, as well?"

"Yes. We couldn't let him out in the sun for too long but he was stubborn and tried to keep up with Marcus as much as he could. He made himself sick sometimes because he tried too hard to be just like his twin. Why do you ask?"

"I just wondered how much he had mutated when he became a Lycan but the fact that he retained the same coloring as before is actually a good sign. It means that there are still some of his original genes there. It's actually helpful."

"How so?" Singe looked at him hesitantly as he tried to figure out how to explain the science. "I'm knowledgeable about the basic ideas behind your work. I just want to know how it applies to William."

"Well, vampires and Lycans are basically mutated species and the virus that causes their changes really means that each is a hybrid human. There are enough differences that we can only breed with our own kind but we're all still part human and descended from them. However, the Lycan virus has changed and mutated much more so than the vampire one over the centuries. The early Lycans appear to have been all animal without any human influences.

If William were like that, then helping him would have been a lot more difficult because it would mean that the changes were so extensive that he would basically appear as a separate species. But if his coloring is any indication, then he may be simply another hybrid version of his human self and his Lycan self. It will be easier to affect changes if his human DNA is still present. It would help to know how the Lycans were changed from the earlier version to the current species but no one seems to know how or when it happened."

"They don't?" Alexander's amused tone made Singe look at him sharply. Did Corvinus know something he didn't? The old man had been alive back then so it was possible.

"Do you know how it happened? It might help William if you could tell me what you know."

"I can't say for sure but I heard rumors of a human child born to a mother in Lycan form. I believe your leader could tell you more about it. I was unable to infiltrate the vampires fortress so I had to rely on spies within their group. Tanis was one such spy. I've always had to be careful about how close I get to them. If Marcus found out that I was anywhere near him back then he would have tried to kill me."

"A Lycan giving birth to a human child? I can see that happening. If the woman was pregnant when she was infected than the baby may have only received a partial infection or the virus could have changed with the fetus as it grew. That's very interesting."

Singe wasn't sure why he'd never heard this before. What had happened to the child? Was it some dark secret that no one discussed? Granted, there weren't very many Lycans left who remembered the days of slavery and most of them didn't like to talk about the past that much but the information would have been important to his research. Even if it wasn't true, it at least gave him ideas of how the virus could have changed.

"I'm afraid that's all I know. If you'll excuse me, I have to go check on my men." Corvinus got to his feet and with a nod to Singe he headed off towards a group of soldiers who were deep in discussion about something. With nothing more to go on, Singe went back to silent contemplation of his experiments.

It was perhaps an hour later when Isadore emerged from the tunnel underneath and Singe realized that it had taken her far too long to make her way back. He hadn't really thought about her absence before as he knew she could take care of herself but it had been three hours since Henryk had gone to relieve her. At most, it shouldn't have taken more than an hour for him to find her and for her to make her way back.

"Isadore? Is everything all right?" She didn't look upset or angry but something must have happened to delay her. The alpha female came over and sat next to him in the same spot that Corvinus had been.

"Everything's fine, doctor. On my way back I ran into one of the survey teams and stopped to help them. I was able to find some traps that they might not have survived but apparently many of the traps have decayed or broken over the years. There were actually explosives set to bring down parts of the tunnel. Luckily the gunpowder was old and wet so they're just going to remove it."

Lucian had ordered her to come back as soon as Henryk came to relieve her. Technically, she had disobeyed his order by helping the mapping team but Lucian would probably understand her reasons. It was always good to play nice with the humans and win their trust.

"That's good to know. So they are making good progress on the mapping?"

"I think so. I only met the one team. It's been a long time since I worked in such close contact with humans. I enjoyed it. Corvinus's men were very professional. I remember a time when most human males wouldn't take the advice of a woman."

Singe didn't bother to point out that there were still men like that today and not just among the humans. Her mention of Corvinus made him consider the immortal's remark in their earlier conversation. Isadore was almost as old as Lucian and must surely have heard a similar story at some point.

"May I ask you a question?"

"Of course, you can ask me anything Singe." She flashed a brief smile at him although she was mostly watching the humans going about their work.

"Corvinus told me about a story he heard long ago about a baby in human form born to a Lycan mother. If it's true, it may explain how modern Lycans came to be. Do you know anything about this story?"

"That old legend? I've heard it before but I doubt it's true. I figured that was something someone made up to explain the difference between us and the animalistic Lycans of old."

"But why have I never heard of this before? Even if it is just a legend, it gives me an idea of what may have happened. Legends often grow up around kernels of truth."

"I don't think any of the modern Lycans would ever have heard it and those few of us left from those times probably just dismissed it as I did. When you're at war, you don't concern yourself with fairy tales and children's stories. Do you really think it might be important?"

She was looking at him curiously but without any real passion. He could tell she didn't really see why this was so important but she wasn't a scientist and wouldn't necessarily understand the importance of gathering every bit of data, no matter whether it seemed true or not.

It was too bad that there were so few of the ancient Lycans left and Corvinus had been on the periphery of most events. He wasn't sure if Lucian would answer any of his questions. The alpha didn't like to talk about those days. His memories of Sonja were still painful even after centuries and Singe had no desire to cause Lucian heartache by questioning him about those days. Anyway, if Lucian had thought the rumor was important, he would have told Singe about it. He'd always been cooperative about the scientist's needs.

That left two people he could ask. Tanis was back at the fortress but they could communicate over the computer if Singe really needed to talk to him. But they couldn't take the chance of messages being intercepted so contact was only supposed to be for emergencies or at specific times. Singe wasn't going to bother asking Tanis about an ancient rumor especially when the vampire probably still held a grudge against them for their perceived treatment of him.

Which meant his only other choice was Marcus. It made sense as the first vampire had been in Viktor's camp at the time but the thought of trying to question Marcus alone made Singe hesitant. For all he knew, Marcus might take offense at any such questions. He claimed to want to help his brother but he was mad and who knew what might set him off?

He might see it as Singe wasting his time on old legends when he could be spending that time looking for William's cure. And he might not know anything anyway or he could lie about it for his own reasons. If Singe wanted to find out more about the story, he was going to have to time it just right. Until then, he would just have to concentrate on more concrete matters. William's treatment had to be his main focus.

Isadore excused herself to go report to Lucian. Singe waited as patiently as he could for the survey to be completed. To pass the time, he walked around the outside of the prison, seeing the whole scope of it as much as he could. The towers jutting up from the Gothic exterior made it at least five stories high but he assumed much of its features were just decoration and much of the upper levels probably didn't contain actual rooms.

No one paid him much attention, all too focused on their own tasks, and he was careful to stay out of their way as well. Corvinus's men had finished with their perimeter security measures. Karl, Anton, and Greta were patrolling in human form, sniffing at the air and listening for dangers the humans couldn't sense. Lucian, Raze, Alexander, and Isadore sat under a tent frame deep in discussion. The two engineers had driven metal spikes into the walls of the banks to create a rough frame for a stairway.

He heard a variety of languages and accents among the men and women that Corvinus had brought with him. There were British, Italian, German, Russian, and other nationalities among the sixteen humans. From their behavior, he was guessing that many of them were mercenaries or ex-soldiers. Corvinus probably only recruited the best.

At last, he gave up his pacing and settled down again by his gear. He lay his head on the pack just to rest but the sun was warm and he must have been more tired awake. He didn't remember falling asleep but the next thing he knew he was being shaken awake. Blinking in the afternoon sun, he looked up bleary-eyed at Anton who was crouched next to him.

"The teams are back with the maps. We're having a meeting to discuss their findings. Care to join us, doc?"

A/N: I've decided to incorporate some of the information from the third movie, at least to some degree.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Singe followed Anton to the large tent that had been set up as a temporary command post. He could see Lucian, Raze, Isadore, and Alexander gathered around a computer where a technician was inputting the data from the three teams GPS units. It was amazing what technology could do these days.

None of them acknowledged him as he joined the group but they made room for him to join them as the map of the prison began to form on the screen. As Singe had thought, the upper reaches were empty spaces that were mainly small, cramped rooms unsuited for any regular use. They were only there for show.

The main tower as well as the secondary ones could be reached by narrow stairways and would make excellent watch posts. There were a few archways here and there that were crumbling or had collapsed but for the most part the prison seemed to be in good shape. There was more of it underground than above which was perfectly fine to the Lycans. They were used to being underground.

The vampires were absent from the little meeting which made Singe happy. He enjoyed knowing they were helpless and trapped by the sun overhead. They waited while the data was downloaded from all three units. An image of the complex began to form.

Many of the corridors were dead ends designed to confuse any one who went in to search for William. They had found him through scent and through Selene who remembered enough of the route to lead them straight to him. If they had taken the time to search every side hall they would have been there much longer.

There was a complex of rooms where the vampires had apparently lived while they were still there guarding the place. No one was really sure how long ago the vampires had abandoned this place or why but judging from the faintness of the odors in the corridors, it had been at least two hundred years since any of them had been here.

Had they decided that William was no longer valuable enough to waste guards on or had they thought the isolation of this place was enough to keep him captive? Perhaps it had happened after the landslide had blocked the passage through. The vampires would have a tough time getting in or out and by the time aircraft had been invented they didn't care any more.

Whatever the reason, it made their job easier. No vampire would likely come here to check on William which would mean they could continue their mission in relative peace. As long as the helicopter wasn't spotted by the vampires, no one would know they were here.

It was possible that they had some sort of satellite surveillance on the site but there was no way of knowing that short of hacking into their systems which might draw attention to them. It seemed more likely that they had simply abandoned William and left him here to rot.

There were also a few random corridors that ended in single rooms like the one Selene had shown them. The portion that was flooded had apparently been designed to be flooded in an attempt to stop any invaders and it appeared the vampires had triggered it before they left. One of the team members had dived down and found mechanisms that would allow them to block the flow of water into the room but the controls were rusted and would take some effort to get working again.

There had been other traps along the way such as the ones Isadore had found. The gunpowder had been set in such a way that when ignited it could have blown out archways to block key passages. Several of the empty corridors had ended in concealed pits or contained spikes that could be used to impale or trap anyone who triggered them. Luckily, the humans had found them all through the sonar-imaging devices they'd used during the mapping but they would still have to be put out of commission at some point.

Right now the priority was getting everything set up inside the building. They wanted to minimize the amount of visible presence outside the prison. There was always a chance that the vampires could detect their presence, especially if there was a lot of activity going in and out of the valley. That was why they'd decided the remaining helicopter would only be used for emergencies. They had enough supplies to last two weeks and they could bring in a month's worth of supplies on the next run. This would allow them a lot of time to just focus on the mission.

Singe tuned them out when they began discussing where to place everyone. All he cared about was where his lab was going to be located. The humans could pick out bunks where ever they chose as long as they stayed out of his way.

It was finally decided that his lab would be located in an isolated room about halfway between the entrance and William's cell. It had a secondary entrance so he wouldn't feel trapped as well as a small window and enough room for his equipment and a cot. They would have to bring in a generator to get the instruments up and running but that wouldn't take long. He could begin his tests within a day.

Corvinus's men had already begun moving supplies into the prison. The engineers had created a temporary stairway down into the dry riverbed so they formed a line to move the supplies inside handing them off efficiently to one another. The Lycans helped by carrying heavier pallets that the humans couldn't handle on their own.

They needed to get everything inside that they could. Other than the helicopter which really couldn't be hidden all that well and the security equipment, everything else would be stored inside to minimize any sign of their presence. By the end of the day, they should have the basics for their tiny community all set up within the prison.

"Would you like to check out your new lab, doctor?" Singe had been watching the movers and hadn't paid much attention to the human coming up behind him. He'd been aware of the man's presence but hadn't thought he was coming to see him. Dr. Jablonski waited patiently for an answer.

"I do not want to be in the way. I can see it later and have them arrange things differently if I need it."

"We won't be in the way and it will be much easier to set up the equipment the way you want it in the beginning." Singe eyed the human and wondered what he was doing trying to be so helpful. Was he trying to ingratiate himself to the Lycan or was he always this way? Or maybe Singe was just being paranoid.

"Very well." It was better than standing around waiting for them to be done. He shouldered his pack and followed Dr. Jablonski down the bank, leaving the stairs for the humans and the equipment. They skirted around the humans who were busy stacking equipment on the dry dock to be moved further inside.

The air in the corridors was stirred up by all the people walking through it over the past few hours and William's odor was not as strong now as it had been at first. But the oddness of it still made him feel a little uneasy. Part of that was his instinctive reaction to a dominant Lycan which made the creature inside of him want to submit and cower before William. But part of it was the fact that William smelled different than the modern Lycans.

He would find out soon enough just how different William really was. His tests would reveal the extant of William's mutation and all of his questions would be answered. Of course, in his experience getting answers to his questions usually only led to more questions. Science was a never-ending quest for answers which made it lucky that he was immortal and could pursue them for as long as necessary.

Dr. Jablonski turned left down a corridor that looked the same as any other. The pathway curved gently until it ended at a door that had been left ajar by the exploration team. The door was thick wood which would at least allow for some protection in the case of an attack.

The human pulled the door open and they went inside. Singe took his first look around his new lab and found that he approved. The room was twice the size of the one that Selene had shown them. It was cool and dry inside. The small window set in a back wall overlooked a steep cliff and let in plenty of light.

He could already envision the configuration of all of his equipment as he decided on the best place for everything. He'd like his cot under the window so he could get fresh air at night and there was room for a bookcase for his collection as well. The rest of the room could be ringed by tables and shelves to hold all his equipment. This would work out nicely.

"The other door is hidden pretty well. We might not have discovered it without the imaging scanners." Dr. Jablonski went to the back wall and pressed on a lump of rock that looked no different from any of the other rough features. But at his touch, a narrow slab of wall swung outward leaving just enough space for a normal sized person to go through. Singe dropped his pack by the window and followed the human out.

Singe stepped through the door and found himself in a narrow hallway that led off into darkness. To his left were a flight of stairs leading up. This was very intriguing and he looked up them, wondering where they went. The urge to explore his surroundings was very strong. It always helped to know possible escape routes from any given place.

"The stairs lead to one of the smaller towers. You can go up them if you want although I'd be careful. They're a little rough in spots. The hallway leads to the area where most of us will be living. It's really a good set-up."

Singe had to agree. Perhaps the human would prove to be useful after all. But for now, he wanted to see the view from the tower before his duties left him no time for sightseeing.

"Yes, it is good. I would like to see everything for myself, though."

"I understand. I'll wait in the lab while you explore. Be careful, doctor. There may still be traps we missed."

He dismissed the humans concern and began to climb the stairs. They wound in a tight spiral up the five stories to the tower. The stairs were indeed rough and cracked in a few places but he had no trouble climbing them. Every so often there was a small window which allowed him to get glimpses of the surrounding mountains and whet his appetite for the grand view at the top.

When he finally reached the top and climbed through the trapdoor leading to the flat roof of the tower, the view was as impressive as he'd expected. They'd flown in at night so he hadn't been able to see the scope of his surroundings. Now as he looked out from the tower he could see the steep, snow-clad mountains all around cutting them off from the outside world. A waist-high wall kept him safe as he walked to each side to get a panoramic view of the valley.

The prison was built on a ridge so that it stood above the valley floor. It led along the length of the ridge in a line of archways, towers, and stone structures. He could see rough trails leading down the sides but he doubted they would need to use them. They weren't here to explore. The area where they had landed was the only place suitable for a helicopter landing. Everywhere else was too steep.

This small valley seemed to be the perfect hiding place for monsters. He could see the glint of the diverted river off in the distance. It meant there was another possible escape route if necessary. The river had to go somewhere although it probably would be quite rough to go down it without the proper equipment. Even Lycans and vampires could drown but if the worst happened and they were cut off and had to flee, the river might be their best bet.

In that same direction, there were plants and scattered trees although the immediate area around the castle was rocky and barren. It felt very peaceful here. The air smelled clean with almost no trace of human presence. It was cold enough up here to see his breath and the humans would probably have to wear jackets but Lycans didn't mind the cold as much.

There were none of the nauseating stench of asphalt, concrete, gasoline, sewage and so many other unpleasant aspects of human development. He could faintly smell the metal and fuel from the helicopter but that was it. From here, the figures toiling below looked very small.

All in all, he could see why the prison had been built here. It was splendid in its isolation and sheer size. If it wasn't for the vicious, bloodthirsty creature locked in the basement and the weight of everyone's expectations on his shoulders, this would be one of the best places he'd stayed in since becoming a Lycan.

Still, he couldn't afford to linger too long up here. He was needed and there was no point in staying any longer so he began another slow trek back down. He was about two-thirds of the way down and his mind was elsewhere when he took another step and the worn, cracked step shifted under his foot. For a moment, he teetered wildly as he grabbed at the stone walls for a handhold. Then he shifted his weight slightly and was able to get his balance back.

Singe stood completely still as he tried to calm his frantic breathing and racing heart after the close call. It was likely he'd survive a fall from this height especially if he didn't go all the way down but there was always the possibility of a broken neck. And head injuries took time to heal, even for Lycans.

If he'd been injured in a fall, he would have to postpone his research and not only would Lucian be upset with him but Marcus would be furious. He had way too many people relying on him and he couldn't afford to take chances. It was obvious that he'd have to forgo any further attempts at exploring the prison on his own.

Once he was calm enough to continue, he carefully stepped over the loose step and continued down with a much more attentive attitude. When he got to the bottom, he could hear voices coming from his lab so he went in to find Dr. Jablonski in conversation with Karl and Anton who were carrying in a large table with folded legs.

"Where should we put this, doc?"

"Over there, please, against the far wall for now. I have to figure out where to put the generator and that may require moving things around later." His voice was steady and he made sure not to betray how close he'd just come to serious injury.

"We'll move things wherever the hell you want them." Anton sounded cheery which was good. He seemed to be over the ordeal of his captivity. Seeing his wife again probably helped a great deal to lift his spirits.

The two Lycans set up the table and left to get more furniture. Singe dug into his pack and got out a bottle of water and the strips of venison jerky that were his only provisions. He ate and drank his fill which made him feel better. Dr. Jablonski waited patiently for him to finish but as soon as he put the provisions away, he cleared his throat.

"If we're going to work together, I feel we should get to know each other better. Do you prefer to be called Singe or Dr. Zweig?"

The Lycan stared in shock at the human. He hadn't heard his old name in decades until Marcus had used it just recently. It was a shock to hear it from a human. How had Dr. Jablonski learned it? The younger man must have seen the look on Singe's face because he hastened to explain himself.

"Mr. Corvinus has extensive records on all the main players among the Lycans and Bloods. When he decided to assign me to work with you, he gave me your records. Your research is very impressive and I'm not here to subvert your work. I'm only here as your assistant."

"I prefer Singe. I'm no longer Johan Zweig. He died a long time ago."

He supposed it made sense that Corvinus's spies had investigated his past but it made him a little uncomfortable to know that they were able to find out so much about him when he'd been careful to hide himself away for so long.

"Very well. You can ask me anything you want and I'll answer to the best of my knowledge."

"What are your qualifications?"

"I attended the Medical University of Warsaw where I obtained a doctorate in biological medicine. My area of interest is rare genetic diseases. Mr. Corvinus recruited me directly after graduation. I was intrigued by the possibility of studying unique species that were thought to be myths by most humans."

That was what had intrigued Singe too and it had led to this pivotal moment. The future of three intertwined species could rest on his research. Lycans and vampires were immortal and immune to all known diseases. What if that condition could be applied to humans without the side effects of craving blood, burning in sunlight, or changing into a giant, hairy creature every full moon?

The global impact could be enormous and he was at the heart of it all. Or rather, Alexander Corvinus was at the heart of it all. Whatever mutation led him to become an immortal had spawned two races of monsters and caused untold death and destruction over the centuries. It was quite possible that Corvinus was not the only immortal human on Earth. If it had happened once, it could happen again or have happened already.

Sometimes Singe wondered how many of the shifting masses of humanity that seemed to clog every surface of the planet were actually a lot older than they appeared. It was a scary and exhilarating idea but he shouldn't get ahead of himself. He needed to focus on one immortal right now and that was William Corvinus.

"What sort of things have been you doing for Corvinus?"

"I can't talk about everything I've been involved in. I'm sure you understand that and there are things you probably won't tell me either. But for the past few years, he's had me studying the genetic structure of Lycans and vampires in an attempt to find a cure."

That was interesting. Singe didn't want to find a cure that would return William to his human state; he wanted to find a treatment that would allow William to regain a human mind and form like the other Lycans. But if Dr. Jablonski had been involved in similar research than he might be of some help after all.

"And what sort of discoveries did you make?"

"Probably not much more than you did. We understand the genetic changes that result from the two original viruses. We just don't understand why those genetic changes allow something as radical as shapeshifting. It's still a mystery.

However, we didn't really pursue your studies on hybrids. We just assumed they were incompatible. They always seemed to destroy each other when introduced into the same culture. I'd be interested to see the differences in the hybrid DNA."

For a moment, a surge of jealousy made Singe want to flat out refuse. It was his research and he'd been working on it longer than the human had been alive. He didn't want to share.

But reason told him that he needed to share what he knew in order to work together. His research was supposed to benefit everyone and he couldn't keep it to himself forever. Perhaps it would help to have a fresh set of eyes along as well.

"What's your first name?" Dr. Jablonski chuckled.

"I'm sorry. I completely forgot that we weren't really formally introduced. It's Pawel."

Any more questions had to wait as Karl and Anton returned with more furniture. They placed a cot under the window as Singe requested and set up two more long tables. The room was really starting to take shape as a usable lab.

"May I ask you a few questions, Singe?" Pawel asked after the Lycans had departed again.

"Yes, but I cannot guarantee I will answer."

"Fair enough. I'm curious. How did William survive that long without food and water? Can Lycans hibernate the way vampires can?"

Singe had to think carefully about his answer. It wasn't in his nature to tell their secrets to outsiders, especially humans. But he had to remember again that sharing knowledge was the only way they could work together. The image of a Lycan shriveled up the way the Elder vampires did was a disgusting thought.

"Not exactly. I believe the small opening over William's head was designed to provide water at regular intervals. I didn't look at it in detail but it smelled wet so he probably did have water either from collected rain water or some sort of pipeline from the river. As for food, I'm guessing the occasional rodent or bug would have wondered through.

But Lycans can put themselves in a sort of hibernation when they haven't eaten in a long time. It's not the same as the vampire's long sleeps. It's similar to what bears do. They're not asleep the whole time, merely in a torpid state and if any food makes itself available they can rouse themselves again very quickly.

I'm heard of trapped Lycan doing this for months at a time but never as long as William. The virus keeps us alive through almost everything. It is a very effective mechanism."

"That does seem to be true. We discovered some interesting things about who can catch the virus and who can't but I'm assuming that's something already known to you after all your research."

"Yes and no. I believe that Corvinus's descendants are very numerous and that would explain why the virus is more likely to work on humans from certain local regions. But there is enough variance in the human genome that there are bound to be random individuals who are receptive to the virus."

It explained why only a fifth of those exposed to the virus actually survived it and became a Lycan or a Blood. Singe didn't know whether he himself was a distant relative of Alexander Corvinus or just one of the random favorable genetic patterns. He preferred the second possibility as it was too odd to think of Corvinus as his own ancestor.

But those who were most likely to survive infection were much more prevalent in Hungary and the surroundings countries than in any other place which seemed to suggest that Corvinus's genes were widespread through the general population. After all this time, his descendants could number well into the thousands especially if his genes made them more resistant to disease as Thomas Corvinus seemed to have been.

Genetic testing made it possible to better predict who would survive the virus and who wouldn't. Lucian didn't want to waste his time sending soldiers after new recruits if they were just going to die anyway. Thanks to Singe's test, the process had become much more streamlined. The vampires did the same although they rarely recruited new members these days.

"That's what we assumed. We found certain genetic traits in both Lycans and vampires that suggested they could have been infected by either virus. It was just a matter of what they were exposed to first that took hold."

"Did you ever have living specimens to work with?" Singe kept his voice neutral. The thought of other Lycans being experimented on and ultimately killed was upsetting. Dr. Jablonski shook his head.

"No. We only worked with dead tissue. Corvinus considered both species too dangerous to keep prisoner for long."

That simply meant that the operatives had killed any Lycan or Blood they came across in the field. Singe supposed that after his experiments he couldn't really point fingers. Everyone had chosen to cross certain lines in the ongoing war. He could say that it was for the good of his species but that didn't mean he wasn't aware of the lives he'd taken.

"He was probably right. How long have you worked for him?"

"Ten years, almost eleven. Where did you get the idea to pursue the hybrid angle for your research?"

Singe explained his idea about a descendant having the right genes to provide a genetic bridge between two species. It was a pure fluke that Michael had been the right one but it was unfortunate that it had taken until the last few days of the plan before they'd found him.

If Michael had stayed in the U.S. or if he had proven to not be a match, then Lucian's plan would have had to go ahead anyway. They would have had to modify parts of it but their goal of destroying the Elders would still have been workable. Otherwise, they would have had to wait another century for a chance like that.

It was really amazing, in hindsight, that everything had gone as well as it had. Kraven's betrayal could have meant the end of all of them. Singe and Lucian would both be dead and probably a lot of the Pack along with them. The Lycans would have struggled at the loss of so many high-ranking members until another leader came along to unite them again and the vampires would have even more of an advantage than before.

Amelia would probably still be dead as it was Kraven's followers who had helped take her down but Viktor would probably still be alive and knowing him, he would have taken the opportunity to take over. Not only would he have stepped up the campaign against the Lycans but the loss of Amelia would probably have forced him to either elevate someone to her place or rule completely on his own.

Viktor had never trusted Marcus and he had only allowed him to stay in place as an Elder because he could control him through William. If Marcus had ever made a move to act against Viktor and Amelia, they would have imprisoned him as well. They wouldn't dare kill him in case his claim that all vampires would die with him were true but they could just as easily have kept him as a withered corpse.

If Lucian had known the truth about Marcus and William in the past, he might have been able to make a deal with Marcus to help him overthrow the other Elders but instead he'd had to rely on Kraven. It was interesting to think how different everything might have been if the right knowledge had been available.

Karl and Anton returned with the generator and another table. Dr. Jablonski excused himself to go check in with Corvinus. They ran cords from the generator to each of the tables but they didn't turn it on yet. That would have to wait until they actually had instruments attached to it. There was no point in wasting energy. After they all departed, Singe was left alone in his new lab which was just what he'd been hoping for.

More complicated tests would have to wait until the machines were set up and running properly. But there was one simple test that he'd done countless times with only the equipment in his bag.

He carefully removed the flasks and solution necessary to run the test for potential hybrids. He's set up the equipment so many times he could have done it blindfolded. Once he'd gotten everything prepared, he removed one of the vials of William's blood and added a dropper-full to the flask. He swirled it with a glass rod and waited expectantly.

If the test was negative, the solution would turn black. If it were positive, it would turn a cloudy purple. This would be a very important first step in determining how best to treat William. He wanted to do this by himself so he could consider the implications of the results before he discussed it with Lucian and the others. As Singe watched, the solution changed color and the answer was revealed.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Singe stared at the flask before him for several minutes as he tried to decide what to do about the results. The black liquid swirled inside the glass as he tapped it gently with one finger. He had expected William to test positive. The negative test was a surprise and one that would require him to shift the direction of his research but it didn't mean the situation was hopeless.

This was only a first step. Even if William were capable of becoming a hybrid, it wouldn't have meant that that was the best route to take. They would need to run a lot more tests to figure out what the next phase would be. The only problem was whether Marcus was willing to wait that long. Singe wouldn't put it past him to try and inject his brother with vampire blood just to see if it would work despite the test results.

The good thing was that now Singe could tailor the direction of his studies since he knew that William wasn't capable of becoming a hybrid. If the results had been positive, it would have caused him to concentrate on studying what hybridization would do to William. Now he was going to have to figure out how William had been changed in the first place and how he could be returned to a more human state.

Studying William's DNA was going to be the most promising direction and with the new instruments Corvinus had provided, it was going to be much easier to get accurate information than his old ragtag equipment would have allowed. He would only be able to do so much with what he'd had to work with in the past couple of decades.

Disassembling his equipment, he dumped the used liquid in a clean jar. He'd dispose of it later when he actually had a sink and running water available. Habit made him clean everything as thoroughly as he could. Even with the new technology, it was better to treat each piece as valuable even when he might never have to use them again.

As he finished cleaning up, Anton and Karl returned with more of the machinery and he directed them to put it on one of the tables. It was going to take a few hours to get everything set up so he could begin. There was going to be cables running across the floor and he'd have to remember not to trip over them.

He spent the next couple of hours supervising the placement of the instruments and mulling over his options. Once he got started, the best way to proceed would be to do a full study of William's genetic pattern which would allow him to perform tests that would show what various changes might do.

He needed to know how many alterations had occurred in the Lycan's DNA and how much of him was still human. The virus replaced many genetic components with its own but it also made the cells more malleable which made changing them easier. He wished he had a sample of William's DNA before he'd been infected to compare his current state with but since that was impossible, Alexander Corvinus was the next best comparison.

The equipment and instruments were all set up and connected when Lucian showed up accompanied by Alexander and Dr. Jablonski. His alpha looked around the new lab and seemed satisfied. Lucian wouldn't know the function of the machines but he seemed pleased with the layout. Everything was very neatly arranged on the tables and well lit. The cables had been taped to the ground to keep them from catching on anything.

Karl and Anton had set up a cot and a small table for Singe by the window as he'd asked. They'd also set up two large racks of shelves to hold all of his equipment. Lights had been strung along the wall to illuminate each section. They still needed to hook up a working sink and toilet with an attached water tank but that wouldn't take long. He didn't want to have to stop work and go down the hall to the makeshift bathroom that was being set up for the humans.

"I trust everything is to your satisfaction, Singe?" Corvinus asked. He looked tired but still wanted to make sure everything was in order.

"Yes, thank you. I should be able to continue my tests tonight once Dr. Jablonski has shown me how to use the instruments properly." It was a little galling to have to rely on the human scientist but he'd never used this sort of equipment before and wanted to make sure everything was done accurately.

"Continue? Have you already started?" He knew Lucian would catch that word. Lucian was familiar enough with his scientist to know that he liked to keep busy.

"I've already conducted the hybrid test." He took a deep breath as they all looked at him expectantly. "It was negative."

"I take it that's not what you were hoping for?"

"No, but it's merely the first step among many in my research."

"So where do we go from here?" Alexander looked impassive but he smelled disappointed. Hybridization might have made treatment easier but it wasn't an option anymore.

"The best direction is to study William's genetic patterns. I think it would help if you could give me some samples, Mr. Corvinus. I could use them to compare to William and try to see the extant of the changes."

"You'll have whatever you need. But right now, I think I need to get some sleep. Could I provide you with samples later?"

"Yes, that's fine." Dr. Jablonski would have to show him how to use the new equipment so he could begin the tests. He'd only read about most of the technology in front of him but he was sure he could grasp their use very quickly. So there was still time before he could begin running tests in earnest.

"I can begin calibrating the instruments as soon as we have the generator up and running. They're fairly straightforward to use."

"That's good to know."

"You seem to have everything in hand here. Keep me informed of your progress. We'll leave you to it then." Lucian and Alexander took their leave. Neither one of them had slept since they arrived here as they were too busy trying to supervise the set up of the camp.

Once they were gone, Dr. Jablonski checked the connection to each of the instruments and then started the generator. While he checked on the operating systems, Singe decided to start the second round of simple tests on his own. He laid out a notebook and pen to record his results.

Dr. Jablonski had a laptop and they could import the results into it later but the Lycan scientist was used to noting everything by hand. He never knew when he was going to have to evacuate a lab on short notice and it was much harder to destroy the evidence on a laptop then his own notes so he'd never used one.

He set up his microscope and prepared three slides with a drop of William's blood on each. He put the first one under the microscope and peered in at it. His first look at William's blood was startling. In normal Lycan blood, the virus was a very visible presence in each blood cell but it was basically inert.

In William's blood, the virus was much more numerous and seemed to be moving constantly. It looked slightly different than the one in modern Lycans. The virus cells bristled with connecting tissue which allowed it to attach to any of the cells in the body. Somehow, it seemed more vicious looking than the current version.

It was too early to tell for sure but Singe thought that it might indicate why William was so aggressive. It must feel like his cells were constantly in motion which would drive him to do anything he could to relieve the sensation. He was probably in constant pain or at least constant agitation. It was a sobering situation to contemplate.

Carefully, he took out one of his samples of vampire blood and added a drop. He already knew what would happen but he had to see it for himself. The Lycan virus tore the vampire virus to pieces in seconds. That was typical but it seemed to have a much quicker reaction than usual.

He set the first slide aside and took up the second one. To that, he added a drop of human blood. This time, the virus overwhelmed the foreign cells and subjugated them rather than destroying. The Lycan virus was very powerful which was why the majority of those who were exposed to it didn't survive. It overpowered their system very quickly and sent them into shock and they couldn't cope.

But William's blood was so powerful that it could even resurrect the dead if the stories he'd read were true. In the account of William's capture, it had described how he had slaughtered an entire village and then all the bodies had risen as mindless Lycans to attack the Bloods. He hadn't believed it at the time, thinking it part of the vampires anti-Lycan propaganda but he was starting to think it might be true.

The blood was so contagious that it altered everyone who was exposed to it in ways that were almost incomprehensible. It was basically an entirely different animal than the virus he was used to dealing with and he felt the familiar surge of excitement at the thought of new experiments. William might as well have been a new species (or rather a very old species) compared to today's Lycan.

There was one more test to perform. He took the third slide and added a drop of Raze's blood. To his horror, he saw William's blood overwhelming the Lycan blood as easily as the human cells. That meant that any Lycan exposed to William's bodily fluids would revert back to a mindless killing machine. He'd been afraid that would happen but he couldn't be sure until he saw it for himself.

That made William the most dangerous creature on the planet and one that presented a threat to humans, Lycans, and vampires alike. If he ever got loose, he could destroy civilization within months as his new offspring spread the infection throughout the continent and beyond.

His heart was beating like crazy and his hands shook as he remembered how he had touched the unconscious Lycan. He had been careful but the slightest scratch or touch of saliva would be his doom. He'd have to make sure everyone took extra precautions in any future dealings with the creature. Even those who delivered his food through the small vent should wear protective gear to protect against contamination and he was going to have to burn the slides to prevent accidental contact.

"Is everything okay?" Dr. Jablonski must have seen something in his expression because he was regarding the smaller man with a wary expression. Singe was smaller than him but he could easily take the human out without any effort.

"I've just proved some very disturbing possibilities." Quickly he explained the results of the tests. His fellow scientist grasped the implications immediately but to his credit, he didn't panic.

"We'll have to have install something in here to dispose of the samples after they're used and we'll have to tell Corvinus and the others to step up all security procedures."

"Yes, but there's more than that to consider. If William gets loose, it will be disastrous for everyone. We need to set up protocols with Corvinus so that if it happens, his men will do whatever it takes to stop him from spreading the infection."

If William escaped, they would all be dead or reduced to mindless beasts which was the same thing in his eyes. The best solution would be to have Corvinus's men on the outside bomb the entire valley if they learned that William escaped rather than risk him making it to the rest of the world. That would kill everything if they were quick enough.

Despite his loathing of the Bloods, he was beginning to see why they had treated William the way they did. He was surprised that they had even let William live this long. If they really believed Marcus's claim that destroying he or his brother would kill all of their offspring, they could have destroyed the Lycans in one fell swoop by killing William.

Of course, that was just a lie on Marcus's part but Viktor and Amelia had never been sure if it was true. Otherwise they would have killed Marcus off a long time ago rather than sharing power with him. William's death could easily have been hidden from Marcus if they had been inclined to kill the first Lycan.

"Marcus won't accept that idea. He's determined to save his brother at any cost even if it means the destruction of the rest of us."

"I know. That is why we shouldn't tell him. Corvinus and Lucian can decide what steps to take. Marcus doesn't need to be kept informed about everything."

Thinking of Marcus made Singe realize there was another test he could perform. With Dr. Jablonski joining him, he prepared one more slide and added a drop of Marcus's hybrid blood to it.

This time when he observed the reaction there was a marked difference. The virus in William's blood didn't rush to destroy the foreign cells. Instead it seemed to encircle the hybrid cells and merged partly to form something Singe had never seen before. It was as if William's cells replaced the Lycan portion from Singe and created a variation of a hybrid cell.

This was astounding as well as being good news. It meant that hybridization was possible but only with Marcus's DNA. It was possible that the closeness of the genetic match had tricked the virus into merging with the cells rather than destroying them. It had still destroyed Singe's DNA which it didn't recognize but had kept Marcus's cells intact.

Unless maybe it was just something about the hybrid cells that were more resistant to change than a mere Lycan or vampire. There was one way to find out. He prepared another two slides with blood from Lucian and Michael.

As with the first few tests, William's cells destroyed Lucian's although the reaction seemed to take longer. However, in Michael's cells, the same hybridization took place although more of his cells seemed to be taken over than Marcus's which would make sense. Michael may have been a descendant of Corvinus but his DNA was much changed from William's immediate family after multiple generations.

It was possible that Michael had Corvinus blood on both sides of his family tree. It would explain why he had the necessary mutation that allowed him to become a hybrid in the first place. Considering how many of Corvinus's descendants were scattered through Europe, it wasn't outside the realm of possibility.

He was looking forward to getting samples from Alexander Corvinus and seeing how William's blood reacted to it but that would have to wait for later. For now he was going to have to make do with this preliminary information.

"Well, that's promising. At least we'll have some good news to report."

"Yes. But we still don't know for sure what Marcus's blood will actually do to William."

It appeared from the results that combining their cells would produce a hybrid but what kind? For all he knew, it might just make William more powerful. There were a lot more tests to perform before he would have a clearer picture of what he was dealing with. As he talked, he put all the slides into a plastic bag and tied it off. They would have to dispose of them later.

"That's true. Would you like a demonstration of your new equipment now?" Singe nodded and Dr. Jablonski walked him through the basic operating procedures for the various instruments he would be using. All the equipment necessary for gene sequencing, DNA identification, and everything else they would need was set up in this centuries-old room looking out of place against the rough-hewn walls.

He'd certainly never had the opportunity to see any of these modern scientific implements in person but as Pawel explained their use he found that he could follow it well enough. Most of it involved setting up the tests and then letting them run automatically. He could handle this.

Some of the instruments needed to be calibrated before they could start any tests to make sure they were running properly. That would take several hours so Singe decided to take a nap while he waited. There wouldn't be much time to relax once they got up and running.

Once the instruments were ready, the first tests they ran would provide an overview of William and Marcus's DNA so they could begin to predict how they would respond to each other on a larger scale. It would also provide them with a look at each of the three hybrids so they could better understand what changes had been made in each of them.

He lay down on the cot and fell asleep quickly. When he awoke, the sky outside was dark and his stomach was rumbling. He hadn't eaten much in the past day and he needed a proper meal and not the snacks in his bag so he decided to find out if the humans had set up a mess hall yet. Dr. Jablonski was gone but Singe was sure he could find his way around pretty well. He should be able to find his way just through scent. The tests could wait a little while longer.

He walked out to the main corridor and sniffed the air. Over the overlapping scents of humans, Lycans, and vampires he caught the distinct odor of meat cooking. One of the side corridors led to a collection of rooms where Alexander Corvinus's men had apparently set up camp. He saw a few humans as he walked down toward the scent of cooking but they ignored him as he ignored them.

Most of the humans were off at tasks or guard duties but someone still needed to set up the basic structure of their new living space. There was the hum of generators and the murmured hush of conversation as he emerged into a large room where he found the source of the smells.

The vampires had apparently used this room for the same purpose as the humans were right now. Four long stone tables with stone benches filled the large space. On the far side, the humans had set up a cooking area and food storage in a small room off of the main dining hall.

At the table closest to the kitchen were Alexander, Lucian, Raze, Isadore, Dr. Jablonski, Michael, and Selene. They all looked up as he approached and gestured for him to join them. The Lycans and Corvinus had plates of food in front of them while Selene had a glass of blood in her hand.

As soon as he sat down one of the humans, who he recognized as the pilot from the fourth helicopter, placed a plate of food in front of him. There was no need for his pilot skills here so he apparently was working as a cook now. Everyone had to fill in where they could. With so few people they couldn't afford to let anyone sit idle and he was probably safer here than as a guard. The sight and smell of the chicken made his stomach growl.

"I'm sorry I didn't wake you for the meal but you looked like you needed the rest. Once the kitchen's fully running, they're going to deliver our food directly to us in the lab." Pawel apologized.

"It's fine. I preferred having a look around for myself."

"Dr. Jablonski has informed us of your new findings. I must say, they sound very promising."

For a moment he was annoyed that Pawel had been the one to tell them about Singe's findings but he supposed this was a part of learning to work with the human doctor. At least Corvinus seemed happy about it.

"Yes, they may be helpful. I think we will know even more once I have some samples from you for comparison. "

"I'll come back to the lab with you once we've finished eating and you can take the necessary samples."

Singe nodded and then tucked into his chicken which proved to be delicious. Everyone ate in companionable silence. This little mixed group was part of one of the most important events in the history of civilization and most of the world would never even know it. The problems of William's cure were still ahead of him but right now he was content merely to fill his stomach and share a table with people who were all working towards the same goal.

Towards the other end of the prison, William sniffed at the air as his powerful nose caught the smell of the mess hall among all the unfamiliar new odors that had invaded his senses. He was still contained by the silver of the cell around him but his fevered mind understood that things had changed. He had a small space now that let in fresh air and he'd been fed pieces of pork and given fresh water.

But more importantly his brother was here. His brother would protect him like he always had. Time had no meaning to the creature he was now but he knew enough to know that it had been a long time since he'd seen his twin. His brother was nearby with two other creatures who were of no importance to him.

The constant twitching pain the infused his every cell made him shift impatiently and scrape his claws over the metal walls of his prison. He heard the heartbeats of the creatures outside speed up in fear but Marcus was calm. His brother approached and his familiar comforting smell made William stop and wait to see what would happen.

"Patience, brother. I regret I cannot release you just yet but soon. Soon you will be free again in both mind and body. Until then, please keep calm."

William settled down and let himself doze lightly. Everything would be okay now that Marcus was here. His mind was on the level of an animal but there was enough memories present to know enough to trust his twin. Marcus would help him.

Outside the small room that contained William's cell, Henryk crouched in Lycan form and tried to ignore the knowledge that the creature inside could kill him without an ounce of effort. He was surprised the human on the other side of the door hadn't bolted by now. The man's blank, military-style expression didn't hide the obvious signs of fear but he held his ground.

Henryk wasn't sure if he was supposed to let Marcus visit William like he was now but he wasn't going to stop him. The hybrid was just as scary as his twin but he was loose. He'd only had to look once at Henryk with those cold eyes for the Lycan to know he wanted nothing to do with the bizarre creature.

And to think that Lucian had transformed himself into something similar. Henryk had grown up poor on the streets of Krakow and he'd learned early that it was every man for himself. Might made right and the strong survived by preying on the weak. He didn't understand why Lucian was catering to useless creatures like the humans or cooperating with the vampires. When he'd been made into a Lycan, he'd seen it as becoming a better predator but for werewolves, far too many of them still clung to human sensibilities and sentiments.

As a Lycan, it had been drilled into him that the Bloods were the enemy. They were evil and they couldn't be trusted. And yet now there were two of them tagging along as well as the three hybrids. He considered women useful only for pleasure and breeding and he supposed the two female vampires could provide the former but Lucian may as well have been a monk for all he looked at the two of them.

It was bad enough that he'd spent twenty years imprisoned in Lycan form just for trying to put that weakling scientist in his place but now he was supposed to play nice with vampires and humans. It didn't make sense to Henryk. He'd promised to obey Lucian and when he'd first been released the relief of being in human form again had made him mean it.

But now he was starting to think that the alpha was weak. He'd never understood why Raze hadn't just taken over. The massive Lycan could beat Lucian easily and had done so to anyone who challenged his authority but when it came to Lucian he seemed content to be second-in-command. Lucian wasn't the biggest or the strongest Lycan and Henryk didn't give a damn about how smart he was. In the past he hadn't cared about strategy or planning; everything in his experience was about who hit harder.

Twenty years as an animal had taught him differently. He needed to plan ahead because strength hadn't done a damn thing for him since he'd been infected. He wanted revenge on Lucian, Raze, Singe and all of the rest who had punished him unjustly. The first thing he needed to do was to figure out why Lucian had been alpha for so long. Someone should have been able to take him down before now.

The only explanation that he could come up with was that Raze was really a coward as were all of the other Lycans who let Lucian lead them. They just went along with whatever Lucian came up with because they didn't want to think for themselves. Henryk didn't have that problem but he knew better than to challenge Lucian yet. He didn't know how much more powerful Lucian was now as a hybrid and he wouldn't enter a fight when he wasn't sure if he'd win.

But it occurred to him that if Singe actually managed to restore William's mind, then the first Lycan would probably be more than a match for Lucian or even Raze. Perhaps, Henryk could find some way to get on William's good side and goad him into taking over. If he had William's trust then it would be easy enough to kill William and take over himself.

So he'd let Marcus visit William whenever he wanted and he'd wait for everything to work out in his favor. He could be patient. After all, he had eternity to get revenge. Just like Lucian had done, he'd bide his time and strike when he could. They wouldn't know what hit them.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

In three days, the prison was transformed into a well-ordered base as everything was finally in place and duties were set and coordinated. Lycans and humans acted as guards on a rotating basis with one of each always stationed outside of William's tomb. Marcus had claimed a room as close to his brother as possible and spent much of his time there.

They'd set up an infirmary which Michael and Dr. Jablonski had agreed to staff on a rotating basis. Not that there was much need for it most of the time but some of the humans had gotten scrapes and bruises from the hard work of cleaning out debris and moving heavy equipment around. There was always the possibility of worse injuries but so far they'd been lucky.

They'd found a large room that had apparently been used as an old library complete with the rotting remains of books and turned it into a recreation center. So far, that only consisted of a few tables to play cards on at one end and two makeshift goals at the other where the soldiers liked to kick around a soccer ball someone had smuggled in. But there was talk of bringing in more recreational items the next time they had supplies brought in.

Other than the area where the helicopter had landed and a thin strip of land around the prison, there was no flat ground on the ridge. One of the many projects the engineers were working on was repairing a badly damaged staircase that led down to the valley floor. They wanted to be able to move anywhere they needed in the case of an attack or escape.

When not on guard duty, human and Lycans were assigned to a particular project which might be anything from cleaning up debris from the various rooms of the sprawling building to running co-species training excercises. They were also working on a way to drain the flooded section that led to William's cell but first the engineers had to figure out where the water would go once it drained out. They didn't want it flooding other sections or undermining the foundations which already had minor cracks in places.

Overall, everyone was doing their best to make themselves feel at home. No one knew exactly how long they would have to be here so they might as well make their surroundings more comfortable. There was already a long list of further supplies that would have to be flown in including a purification system for the wells that supplied the prisons water supply. Alexander had decided to have a helicopter drop more supplies to them in a few days instead of waiting like they'd originally planned. They would fly in at night to minimize any chance of detection.

Singe was happy to be working away at his studies. Contrary to human television shows, DNA work was not something that could produce results in a matter of hours. He and Dr. Jablonski were proceeding carefully with their study of the Corvinus genetic pattern but it would still take time. Every result had to be verified and duplicated.

The samples Alexander Corvinus had supplied were proving very useful. They were already finding common gene markers between him and William. They were still mapping out the genetic pattern for both of the immortals and that would take several more days but it was a promising start.

Singe was beginning to appreciate Dr. Jablonski's help. The human was polite and intelligent and treated Singe like any other colleague. And he was away often enough between his duties at the infirmary and his human need for sleep that Singe had enough time to himself which was what he was used to. He'd been wary about working with the man at first but Pawel didn't seem to have any prejudice against Lycans or vampires. His only interest was the research.

The same couldn't be said for all of the humans here. Corvinus's men were professionals and they were skilled at not showing their true feelings but any of the Lycans could tell that some of the soldiers didn't care for them with their reactions ranging from mild fear to arrogant dislike. There were a thousand little clues in scent and body language that gave them away.

Still, Lucian and the others didn't care what the soldiers thought of them as long as they remained professional. It wasn't entirely surprising either. Not only had the humans been trained to suppress and hunt immortals but they were all well aware of how dangerous they were. No amount of training and weapons could protect them from a Lycan or vampire who truly wanted them dead. They had weapons with silver but their use was restricted to William's guards and those were hand-picked by Corvinus.

Singe had established a routine that included short naps throughout the day rather than sleeping for eight hours straight and eating small meals in his lab. The kitchen delivered simple meals once a day that he could eat when he had a chance rather than having to stop what he was doing. It was important to organize his time as efficiently as possible. The humans had provided a whiteboard and he found it more useful for charting each experiment and it's results than his little notebook. He still copied the results into his notebook just as Dr. Jablonski entered them into his laptop but the board provided him more space to map out his results and get them into a coherant order.

Lucian and Corvinus stopped by once a day to check on him but they were his only visitors and they didn't stay long. Marcus hadn't stopped by at all yet which was surprising but welcome. Singe didn't need him pacing around and breathing down the scientist's neck with his need for a cure. He could benefit everyone more by staying with his brother and keeping him calm.

It was night time and he was alone in the lab. Pawel had gone off to get some sleep hours ago so Singe was free to continue his research on his own. Currently, he was reading through several papers Pawel had written while working for Corvinus. His thorough study of Lycan and vampire physiology was interesting although largely familiar.

There was a knock on the thick wooden door and he lifted his head from the paper and frowned . Who could be visiting him at this hour? Corvinus and Lucian had already been here today and Pawel usually didn't come back until past dawn. He sniffed at the air but there were too many chemicals around him and he couldn't tell who it was.

"Come in." The door opened and Selene stepped through. He felt himself tense instinctively. He still didn't like the vampire and never would, no matter what peace was made between their species. She had tortured him mercilessly and the memory of that would never fade. He couldn't imagine what she might be doing here unless it involved Michael somehow. Her pale face was apprehensive as she closed the door behind her.

"Hello." She seemed hesitant which wasn't her usual demeanor but he found his initial trepidation giving way to annoyance. She better not be bothering him with something as trivial as a social call. He had no need to sit down and talk about what had happened before.

"Yes? What is it?" His tone was abrupt and it made her briefly glare at him before her expression turned neutral.

"I need to ask you something. It's about Corvinus." That wasn't what he expected to hear. What could she possibly need from him in regard to Alexander? "Ever since I bit him to test his memories, I've felt…off somehow. It's more than just trying to assimilate his thoughts. I feel different and I'm having some odd symptoms. I wondered if you could test my blood and see if there's something there."

He simply stared at her for a moment in surprise. He remembered briefly wondering if there would be any side effects after she'd bitten Corvinus but nothing had happened and he'd dismissed it from his thoughts. To have her come to him, almost a week later made him wonder what he'd missed.

He certainly didn't spend any more time with the vampire than he had to so he couldn't say if there had been any changes but he should have considered the possibility that she'd been affected by the contact. As far as he knew, no vampire had ever fed on the blood of a human immortal before and there was really no way of predicting what might happen from such an encounter.

On the other hand, she might be mistaken. There could very well be nothing wrong with her and her unease was simply a result of Corvinus's memories combined with the new situation they all found themselves in on this expedition. Plus, Selene had probably acquired more memories of her childhood just from walking these corridors. So he couldn't help but feel skeptical about her alleged symptoms.

Vampires could be affected by the blood of those they fed upon, for example if the donor was drunk or on drugs, then the vampire would absorb some of the chemicals into their own body. But the effect usually disappeared quickly as their metabolism broke down any foreign substances and restored them to their previous state.

"What have you felt exactly? I don't have time to run more experiments based on a bad feeling."

"It's more than a 'bad feeling.' I know when I'm not myself. I feel stronger, edgier, but also confused. My reflexes are all slightly off and my skin feels warmer. Even Michael remarked on it."

Singe frowned at that last bit. Vampires weren't the undead of legends but their natural body temperature was lower than a human. This could still be just some paronia on Selene's part but he had to play along for now. It would make Lucian happy to see any signs of cooperation with the vampires on his part.

He motioned her over and indicated where she should sit. She sat tensely in the chair not looking at him as he found a thermometer in his bag. He handed it to her and let her stick it in her mouth herself. He may be going along with this but he preferred to keep any contact and conversation to a minimum.

After two minutes, she removed it and handed it to him. He looked at the reading, fully expecting nothing and was startled to find that Selene's body temperature was five degrees more than he would have expected. It was almost up to human norm. Something was definitely odd here.

He'd seen differences in Alexander's blood but for the most part it didn't look much different than a normal human. There was no sign of the bristling virus that could be found in the blood of vampires and Lycans. He doubted a human scientist would see anything of interest in a sample from Alexander unless they looked very closely at it and maybe not even then.

So why would drinking his blood change Selene in any way? Had she become some form of hybrid and if so, what had changed? Was this only a temporary change? It didn't seem so after a week when her body should have metabolized any chemical it was exposed to but who knew how the body of one type of immortal would react to the blood of another? Perhaps this was some form of fever as her body tried to burn off the invading substance.

This definitely warrented further study and it tied in with the research he was already undertaking. He just needed to know more and for that he was actually going to have to talk to Selene, as distasteful as that seemed.

"Your body temperature is elevated. Have you had any more specific symptoms? Any trouble drinking blood or odd cravings?"

"No. Does this mean you're willing to test me?"

"Yes. But I would caution you not to tell anyone else about this until I've gotten some results back. I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea. I'll need some hair and blood samples. If those don't show anything, I may need tissue samples but let's start off slow, shall we?"

"Thank you, doctor."

He wanted to tell her not to waste his time by thanking him but didn't bother with the sarcasm. His only interest was in the science behind her possible transformation. If this was something that might affect vampires in any way, positive or negative, then he needed to know about it. And it might give him a better idea of what Alexander's genes contained if he could find some evidence of a change in Selene's blood.

He handed her the scissors and let her cut a small lock of hair off before placing it in a jar. When he readied the syringe, he saw the faintest moment of apprehension on her face. The urge to stab her with it or at least be rougher than necessary was there but he resisted. He'd taken blood from vampire test subjects plenty of times and filled two vials smoothly. The wound closed over within a minute and he didn't bother giving her a band-aid.

"The tests will take time. I must fit them in between those already in progress. If you have any other symptoms or your condition changes, please inform me at once."

"I will." She glanced at the door but didn't leave just yet. "What do you think this could mean? Am I some sort of hybrid now?"

"It's too early to say and I would not care to speculate on such an unknown situation. The sooner I begin the tests, the sooner I can get results. In the meantime, it might be best if you tried to act as though nothing is different."

This time, she took the hint and walked out without another word. He would have to report this to Lucian and Alexander but he wanted to do a few preliminary tests first. As with most of his research, each new discovery only led to more new questions. Now the questions would have to include what had happened to Selene after drinking Alexander's blood.

He would have to tell Pawel as well when the human came back but Dr. Jablonski would probably be as intrigued as he was and knew better than to tell anyone about their research before they had something tangible to report. He started a few of the tests where he could but much of the equipment was already dedicated to running their other samples.

He did put a drop of her blood on a slide and examined it under the microscope. It didn't resemble the three known hybrids. However, there was one noticeable difference from normal vampire blood. The virus looked like a smooth oval instead of the bristling structure it usually resembled. In fact, it looked almost human.

He stepped back from the microscope feeling stunned. What could this mean? Selene wasn't cured. She might feel somewhat different but she would know if she'd lost all of her vampire traits. So was this some sort of partial cure or had she become a new kind of vampire?

Was this something that could be used against the vampires to weaken them or would it have added benefits in the long run? He had to be very careful in how he handled this information. Decades of paranoia meant he didn't trust anyone beyond a few select Pack members including Lucian and Raze.

For all he knew, there could be traitors or paid informants among Corvinus's men. And who knew how a low-level vampire like Erika would react to this new development? If it was some sort of improvement, she might very well find some way to tell somebody or even flee with the information. She hadn't shown any signs of being trustworthy to him and the fact that she had been so close to Kraven only made her more suspect.

He glanced out the narrow window above his bed and realized that it was already dawn. Being in the mountains, there tended to be a lot of clouds and rain but today looked like it was going to be a clear day. He took comfort in the small amount of sunshine that came in through the glass when the sun was at the proper angle. It made his lab feel less confined and dreary. Of course, they had to keep the specimens protected from sunlight to make sure they weren't affected but it was worth having some reminder of the outside world.

He turned back towards the microscope when a sudden thought struck him into freezing up for a minute. It couldn't be, could it? Singe nearly ran to the other end of the lab where he fumbled in a drawer for one particular device. Among Corvinus's weapons was a small UV emitter similar to the "sunlight" bullets Raze had used on the vampires in the subway when he was stalking Michael.

Holding it in his hand helped stop it from trembling as he walked back to the specimens he'd taken from Selene. He took the slide with her blood out of the microscope and placed it on one end of the table away from anything else. The emitter, on it's lowest setting, let out out a brief blinding flash when he aimed it at the blood but that was it.

That should have been enough to destroy any piece of a vampire but Selene's blood was untouched. He took out a strand of her hair and repeated the exposure but again nothing happened. Singe turned it to the highest setting but that too had no effect on the samples. He put the emitter down and tried to calm himself. Even if his theory was true, it didn't mean that it was a bad thing. It might mean that she was a weaker form of vampire now.

Except that he was almost completely sure that Selene could now walk in sunlight unscathed. She had been made immune to the only thing that gave Lycans an edge. They could carry out their tasks in the daytime safe in the knowledge that the vampires were trapped behind shuttered windows and locked doors. If the vampires were free to walk at any hours of the day, they would have even more time to hunt down the Lycans and wipe them out.

If the vampires knew about this, then Corvinus's blood would become a very valuable commidity. Of course, he didn't know if there were any negative effects yet but just being able to walk in sunlight would be enough to get their attention if they ever found out about it. Sunlight was their main weakness and one of the best equalizers in the war.

For a moment, he thought of just throwing the samples out the window. He could tell Selene that he hadn't found anything and she would never try and walk into sunlight herself. No one needed to know about this except him.

But he knew that wouldn't work. If Selene mentioned the experiments to anyone else, then Lucian would want to see the results and Singe wouldn't lie to his alpha. And if Dr. Jablonski repeated the experiments, they would find out the truth anyway. There was no way to cover this up but hopefully he could spin it in such a way that any potential vampire spy would decide it wasn't worth their time.

After all, Selene did seem to be weaker in other ways. She'd mentioned how her reflexes were off and how she felt "wrong." If he could make this seem like a form of hybridization that turned vampires back towards being humans, then it wouldn't seem so great. For all he knew, she might not even be an immortal anymore. Who could say what such a transformation might cause?

The three hybrids so far seemed to be stronger than either species just as he'd predicted and had none of the weaknesses of either vampires or Lycans. Selene had apparently lost her weakness to sunlight but there was no way of telling what other changes had occurred without further tests. Her supposed weakness could be her body adjusting to a higher level of power.

This would probably help with his research as it proved that Corvinus's blood was capable of altering other beings. He had been concentrating on identifying the similarities between the genetic structures of father and son but now he had to wonder whether Alexander's blood could provide a means to bring William back to a human state.

Two hours later, Alexander and Lucian met him and Dr. Jablonski in his lab. Pawel had already been appraised of the situation. Singe had shown him the samples and their lack of reaction to ultraviolet light. Rather than sharing Singe's trepidation, Pawel seemed delighted with this turn of events. He didn't have to worry about the vampires trying to wipe out his kind and this was a huge breakthrough.

Lucian was expressionless but Alexander actually looked concerned. He was intelligent enough to realize what this might mean if the vampires found out. They could take him prisoner and keep harvesting his blood forever to ensure they could conquer their weakness to sunlight. It would be best if they kept it between themselves. Lucian would probably tell Raze and Isadore but that was it.

"Do you think this could help William?" Corvinus looked hopeful that he could be of some use to his son besides being his jailer.

"It's too early to tell. We have to run more tests but it is promising." This was going to add to the roster of tests they'd already planned but any lead was promising even when it took them down paths they hadn't expected.

"Very well. We'll let you get back to work." Lucian gestured for Alexander to follow him out and the two men left the two scientists alone. They would be busy for days with this new information and it was best to just let them continue their work without interruption.

The two leaders walked in silence as they both considered the implication of Singe's discovery. Lucian's concern was for his Lycans but he doubted that anything would come of this. No one knew about this but the four of them and as long as the vampires didn't find out about it, they were safe. Besides, even if they were aware of it, many of the older vampires prided themselves on the "purity" of their species and would never even consider polluting their veins with Corvinus blood.

They parted ways at the entrance to the human wing. There was a brief exchange of meaningless pleasentries and then each went off to their respective tasks. Alexander walked back to his room feeling as though he were walking through fog. He didn't want to be treated any differently than his men but they had insisted he take the largest room for himself. Everyone else had a roommate but he could be alone with his thoughts.

Alexander closed the heavy stone door and sat down on his bed. The immortal man withdrew a silver-bladed knife from a secret pocket and held the blade over his left hand. With one swift movement, he sliced a neat line across his palm. The pain barely registered and he watched as the red blood welled up and fell in slow drops to the floor.

What was he? He'd asked himself that same question many times over the centuries since his two oldest sons had been transformed into horrific monsters. He'd done everything he could to help them because he knew that it was partly his fault. They had inherited some form of his mutated genes and it had inadvertantly led them to their current state.

He'd been overly protective of Thomas after that, terrified of what his third son might have become if exposed to the wrong influence. But Thomas had been a quiet, pliable boy who had never argued with his father's orders and had obeyed his every command. He had been nothing like Marcus who had inherited his father's arrogance and commanding nature or William who had been a clever boy who tried so hard to do everything his twin did despite his condition. Their loss had been the hardest to take of all those he'd experienced over the centuries and even more so because he blamed himself.

He'd once thought that the only way to end this was to kill them and end their tormented existence but he'd never been able to bring himself to do so. There had been a few opportunities over the years. He'd been aware of Marcus's location for a long time and it would have been easy enough to blow up the crypts or take him out in any number of ways.

But always in the back of his mind was that faint idea that there was still a way to save them. His wife, his beloved Helena, would never have condoned killing the twins, no matter what they had done. It was her face he saw every time he envisoned killing Marcus or William. Her grief over their loss had shadowed every moment they had together until the day she died.

He didn't give as much consideration to the twins "offspring." His commandos had orders to kill any survivors and witnesses they found at battle sites and he was sure his orders had caused the deaths of hundreds if not thousands over the years. But he'd always thought it best to try and contain the situation rather than declaring outright war on the Lycans and the Bloods. The general public could not be allowed to learn of the monsters living in their midst and he made sure that most people saw them as myths and not reality.

Singe's research could still be a dead end. All of this could be a waste of time and then he would be back to making a hard decision. William could never be allowed to get free in his current state. He was far too dangerous and Alexander would do everything in his power to make sure William never left the prison even if he had to destroy it and everyone inside including himself.

If he had to kill William, Marcus would swear revenge and hunt them all down which meant he would have to be taken out as well. If there was no cure, no treatment, that would allow William to return to a human form, then his sons fates were sealed. He would have to do the very thing he'd put off doing for centuries. Worse yet, he would have to assign his sons death to his followers because he knew he couldn't pull the trigger without seeing Helena's reproachful face.

It would be a cowardly act to send others to kill the monsters he'd spawned but he would just have to live with it. He hoped that Singe's science would provide the elusive answer he needed but there was no guarantee and a good leader planned for every possibility. William and Marcus's lives were in the hands of Singe and Dr. Jablonski now. And if they failed and he had to order his sons deaths, then the scientists would die as well and probably all of the Lycans and vampires here.

Corvinus might spare Michael if the young man agreed to join him but he doubted that would happen, especially once Selene was dead. He would make it his mission to wipe both species off the face of the planet and only when that was accomplished could he finally join Helena in eternal rest.

On the other side of the prison, Marcus sat in the room he'd taken as his own and regarded the computer screen before him. The huge technological changes that had occurred since he'd last been awake were almost incomprehensible at first. But luckily for him, he had the memories of a genius scientist as well as several vampires he'd drained back at Ordoghaz to teach him how to use his new laptop.

Unlike Selene, who was probably still struggling with the random memories she'd acquired from Alexander, Marcus was fully capable of organizing the new information in his head. It had taken some practice but he'd mastered the basic functions of his stolen computer.

One of the advantages of progress that he was most interested in was technology that allowed him to spy on his allies. He'd "acquired" several recording devices from among Corvinus's supplies and put them in the quarters of Alexander, Lucian, Selene, and in Singe's lab. They were programmed to send all transmissions to his laptop so he could monitor their conversations at will.

He didn't trust any of his allies, especially his father. They'd agreed to help because it benefitted them in various ways but none of them cared about William as a person. Singe wanted the challenge and glory of studying the first Lycan. Lucian wanted Marcus on his side. Selene was only in it to protect Michael and couldn't care less about the rest of them. And Alexander wanted redemption for his failure to save his sons.

He'd learned some interesting tidbits from their conversations but nothing that would cause him to break their alliance yet. He knew they planned on killing William if he escaped but that was obvious to him anyway. The discussion revolving around Selene's new abilities was an unexpected twist. If Alexander's blood had done that to her, would it help William as well or were they too closely related for it to be any help? It appeared that his father's usefulness to Marcus had just increased. Some day, he still hoped to get revenge on the old man for his failure to help his sons but for now he was untouchable.

Marcus felt as though he were walking on a tightrope. Part of him yearned to free his brother and kill anyone who tried to stop him. But he hated seeing his brother this way and wanted him to be able to regain his human form. For now, he had to restrain his anger and his hatred of everyone around him and rely on the scientist and his human assistant to save William. Failure meant the death of everyone here at his hands or William's. He just had to bide his time and see how this played out. It was all just a matter of waiting.


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Singe peered up at the blue sky and looked for any sign of rain. There wasn't a cloud in sight for once which meant he was going to have to go through with this after all. Lucian and Alexander had decided that it would be better if everyone took a break outside at least once every couple of weeks.

The chances of a few people being spotted by an orbiting satellite were deemed less important than the need for sunshine and fresh air. Singe had argued that he didn't have time for such nonsense and he should be exempt from the rotating schedule but Lucian had insisted. The only concession that had been made was that Singe only had to spend half the amount of time outside as everyone else.

So now he found himself standing outside in the bright sunshine with two hours to kill. Two of the humans had the same day and they were off exploring but the Lycan scientist had no intention of joining them. His mind was on his experiments which were revealing some very promising data and this felt like a waste of time. He could enjoy the sunlight after he'd found a cure for William.

If it had been raining, he could have had an excuse to stay inside but instead he stood here shivering in the steady breeze wishing he were back in the lab. Although standing here made him think about how Selene could be out here right now if she knew the truth. He was rather amused by the idea that she would never know unless she tried to commit suicide by sunlight and failed.

It had been a week since she had come to see him and he had discovered her new abilities. He hadn't told her about her seeming immunity to sunlight. Instead, Singe had been instructed to tell her that she had indeed become some sort of hybrid but that he needed more time to figure out the extant of her changes. She seemed satisfied with that and hadn't bothered him since.

As annoyed as he was, he couldn't stand here for the next two hours so he decided to take a walk around the perimeter. He walked carefully to the edge of the cliff and peered down. The humans had begun to fashion a ladder down to the valley floor but it was only less than half done. Not that Singe would have gone down if it were finished. He had no intentions of risking another fall like the one he'd almost taken on the tower steps.

There wasn't much to see down there anyway. Karl had climbed down in his agile Lycan form and had reported back that there were loose rocks everywhere and not much in the way of wildlife. On the northern side where the river still flowed through the mountains, there was some grass and trees but that was it. The little valley was isolated and cut off from civilization which made it the perfect place for a hidden prison.

Corvinus was working on having some of his computer geeks back at his base hack into the vampire surveillance system and see if they were really watching this place or not but that would take time. They had to be careful not to be discovered but it was looking more and more like the vampires had simply abandoned this place.

They'd found evidence that there had been several landslides in the past like the one that had diverted the river. The ridge of land the prison was on had once been wider before part of it collapsed. The rest of it appeared to be stable but they were going to have to be careful about any major projects that might cause vibrations in the rock under them.

A shadow passed over him and he glanced up expecting it was one of the birds of prey that he'd sometimes seen circling above. Instead, his mouth went dry as he realized it was Marcus above him and the hybrid was headed in his direction. He carefully backed away from the drop even though he was pretty sure Marcus wouldn't knock him off the edge.

Marcus landed about ten feet away and shifted back to a more human form. It still fascinated Singe how easily the hybrids could shift. If it were that easy for him, maybe he wouldn't need to block the Change from happening. Marcus walked towards him with a slight smile and Singe forced himself not to take a step back.

"Hello, doctor. I hear you've been making some progress in your studies."

"Yes but there is still much more research to be done. These things take time." He didn't know why Marcus had chosen now to come and talk to him but he supposed it was better than in the lab where he would feel more trapped.

"Oh, I understand. I'd prefer you take the time to get it right. After all, we wouldn't want to make things worse for my brother, now would we?"

Singe simply shook his head. He didn't know what Marcus wanted him to say. The former Elder was unreadable. His body language and scent were too different from a Lycan or a vampire for Singe to be sure what this little meeting was about. Most likely, it was just one of his sadistic head games since he knew that Lucian was keeping Marcus informed about Singe's progress.

"I have a serious request, doctor. I'd like you to visit William again with me."

"Why? I still have enough samples to continue the research." This whole thing was making him nervous. He didn't like the thought of facing William again. The first Lycan was kept drugged and quiet but he was still dangerous. Singe thought about William's blood overwhelming all of the samples besides his brother's and shuddered. All it would take would be one drop of saliva penetrating his skin and he would become a monster too.

"I believe it's important to remember who you're fighting for. My brother is more than a collection of cells and viruses. You've only seen him asleep. Also, there's something I want to show you. It might be of considerable interest to you as a scientist."

"I…don't know. I would need Lucian and Alexander's permission and there's so little free time. I think…"

"It doesn't have to be right away. It can occur the next time you have a rainy day for your recreation time. I will talk to Lucian but I can assure you I won't let any harm come to you. You're far too valuable for that."

And what happened when he was no longer valuable? Even if he found a way to restore William to his human form, Marcus might thank him and then rip his throat out just for laughs. And if he'd found something, why hadn't he told anyone else?

"I suppose that can be arranged but if you've found something that will help my studies, then why not tell me right now?"

"I'm not sure you'd believe me. I'd prefer to show you in person."

Despite his fear, he was becoming intrigued now. What could Marcus be talking about? William was unique for a Lycan and there were bound to be differences beyond those on the cellular level. But he couldn't help the fear created by the idea of visiting William. Marcus looked annoyed at his hesitation.

"What are you so afraid of doctor? My brother is drugged, caged, and restrained. I'm not asking you to pat him on the head. You can stand on the other side of the room if you like."

"I'm merely wondering what this is all about but if Lucian and Corvinus give their permission, then I suppose I can make time for a visit."

"Splendid. I'll go have a little talk with them right now." Marcus walked back towards the prison with a rather pleased grin on his face and Singe found himself wondering just what he'd just agreed to. When Marcus was out of sight, a Lycan came loping up to the scientist. Anton shifted and looked him over as though expecting him to be beaten and bloody.

"You okay, doc? What did that flying freak want with you?"

"I'm fine. We were merely discussing his brother's condition." He knew Anton meant well but he was suddenly irritated by the way everyone was treating him like a cowardly weakling. "If there's nothing else, I'm going for a walk."

Anton looked taken aback but Singe ignored him and headed off along the edge of the grounds. The moon would be full again soon which accounted for some of his restless feelings. He had to endure the pull of the moon for a few more days before he could take the drug to block the Change. It wore off quickly so he had to take it each day during the three days when the pull was strongest.

But it was more than that. While his studies were promising, they were taking longer than he'd expected. He and Pawel had already identified several promising directions but each one had to be painstakingly researched and verified. Everyone here was waiting on his work and the few times he left the lab and walked the halls, he could swear that every person he encountered was watching him and wondering if he would fail. The smell of tension and boredom filled the air.

The immortals knew how to wait but the humans were accustomed to action. Standing around, guarding old stones and a drugged prisoner, however dangerous, was bound to lead to feelings of frustration. He suspected that was the real reason for the recreation days more than the need for fresh air. The humans needed time to relax and forget about their duties for a little while. It was too bad that there wasn't more room on the ridge for outdoor activities and they were largely limited to card games and working out in the makeshift gym that had been set up in an empty room.

Everyone wanted something from him and sometimes it just became too much. Even when he'd been working on the hybrid project, there had been other missions for the rest of the Lycans to perform. Here, there was just his research and that could take months or even years more to complete if he completed it all. There was still no guarantee of success.

He walked slowly around the perimeter, careful not to get too close to the edge. Despite his earlier irritation, it was a nice change of pace. The air smelled fresh and clean despite the underlying scents of human, Lycan, and vampire crisscrossing the area. The sun was warming his skin and it felt good to actually move around in an open space.

Still, he didn't want to make a habit of this. He hoped it was raining on his next day off even though that brought up the question of what Marcus hoped would happen if Singe visited William again. He was working as hard as he could and it wasn't as though seeing William conscious would cause him to do anything differently. But the need to know what secret Marcus would reveal to him was itching at him and Singe knew he would have to make the visit sooner or later.

On the end where they'd found the dried riverbed, there were steps up and down the slope now but when Singe reached the opposite end where he'd never been before, he found the only way to get around the prison completely was a narrow strip of land flanked by a steep slope littered with random jagged rocks where one of the landslides had taken out the rest of the area. It looked like it had once led to the path out of the valley that was now blocked. He could even see the remnants of stairs among the rubble.

From the smell in the air, the two humans had passed this way and gone around to the smaller strip of land on the western side of the building. Obviously, if it was stable enough to hold the taller, heavier humans then it would hold him but Singe decided not to bother. There was nothing to see over there anyway so he turned around and headed back along the wall of the prison.

Up close, in the sunlight, he could admire the effort that had gone into creating such an immense structure in the middle of nowhere. It must have taken years to design and construct the thick walls and the twisting passages whose only purpose was to keep the first Lycan in perpetual captivity. There were no extra touches, no artisitic carvings or fanciful decorations but it didn't need it. The sheer size of it was a monument to the skill of Selene's father.

The only statues were the gargoyles perched along the roof and they were functional rain spouts. Many of them resembled wolves which was either meant to be ironic or a sneer at the Lycans whose most powerful member was under the control of the vampires. During the years it had taken to build the prison, William must have been kept elsewhere. They had started building it before his capture, in anticipation of his defeat but it had still taken nearly two years after that to be completed. Idly, Singe wondered where they had kept William for those two years but there was no way of knowing and it didn't matter now.

He made his way to the underground tunnel as slowly as possible, trying to waste his time so he could go back inside. As he walked down the stairs to the dry riverbed, he was met by Raze. The beta looked serious as he stood waiting for the scientist to reach level ground. Singe had a sinking feeling he knew what this was about.

"Lucian and Alexander want to see you right away."

"Is this about Marcus and his request?"

"I don't know anything about that. They just sent me to find you." Raze gave a slight grimace at that. He didn't like the way Corvinus acted like an equal with Lucian and he really didn't like taking orders from a human but he had to obey his alpha and Lucian had told them all to obey Alexander.

Singe followed Raze back to the meeting room where the two leaders usually held court. Marcus had moved fast and apparently they were intrigued or disturbed enough by his request to want to discuss it right now. He was glad that it was daylight and Selene was in hiding since she often sat in as a representative of the vampires making a council of three that resolved any problems. There were parts of the building she could move around in during the day but the meeting room had windows so she wouldn't be there.

Lucian and Alexander were waiting for him along with Michael and Pawel. He was surprised to see the hybrid as he couldn't think of any reason why Michael needed to be here and he was equally surprised that Marcus wasn't present. But it didn't really matter so he turned his attention to his alpha and the immortal man next to him. Both of their faces were blank and he couldn't tell what they were thinking.

"Marcus tells us he had a proposal for you." Lucian didn't seem bothered by whatever Marcus had told them. He had to know it was dangerous but he was probably just as intrigued as Singe was to see what Marcus was hiding.

"Yes. He wants me to visit William while he is conscious. He claims he needs to show me something that pertains to my research. Our research." He amended after glancing at Pawel who just smiled and shrugged.

"Do you believe him?"

"Yes. He seemed very determined and eager to get me there."

"Do you have any objections to his request?" Singe hesitated as he still wondered how Lucian felt about this and why Alexander hadn't said a word.

"I'm worried about the danger, of course. But if it's something important, then I need to know about it and Marcus insisted he had to show me rather than just telling me what it is."

"I would like for you to go but I've insisted on protective gear and I've asked Michael to accompany you. Also, Dr. Jablonski wants to record the event. " Singe was taken aback. Why was Michael included in all of this?

"I agree with the protective gear and the recording, but William might react badly to strangers in his vicinity and it might be best to minimize the amount of people present."

"I understand that but Michael asked to go. We want to see how William will react to a different hybrid than his brother and I'd prefer to have someone who can protect you if Marcus tries anything."

Singe looked at Michael who seemed to be silently pleading with him. The young man was probably as bored as the humans. He had very little doctoring to do and he needed something to make him feel useful. But what made them think that a hybrid who had only begun to learn about his abilities could protect him from someone as powerful as Marcus? His skepticism was obvious and Michael glared back at him.

"Our decision is final, Singe. Take Michael with you or don't go at all."

"Very well." He didn't really care if Michael was there or not as long as the hybrid didn't provoke William or Marcus in any way. If Lucian wanted Michael Corvin to accompany him then he would go along with it. The chance to learn more about William was too compelling for him to raise much objection.

Arrangements were made rather quickly and two days later, Singe found himself crouched in a boat with Michael and one of the humans as they crossed the water that covered the approach to William's prison cell. He clutched his medical bag with gloved hands and tried not to let the fear and excitement overwhelm him.

The guards that met them on the other side were Karl and some human whose name he couldn't remember. They were both stone-faced as they helped the three men out of the boat and tied it to the dock. They'd learned that William became more agitated when he could hear or smell anyone other than Marcus so conversation was kept to a minimum. This wasn't encouraging for Singe's visit but at least Marcus would be there to keep his brother in check.

Singe had made Michael carry the recording equipment that Pawel had provided. The American was probably more familiar with the technology than the Lycan scientist anyway. Marcus met them at the open door. He looked happy to see them and motioned for them to come inside. Singe donned a protective mask and went inside.

The door to William's cell was closed. Michael set up the equipment across from the cell and then he and Singe took up position against the far wall as Marcus eased the door open. William's head was bowed as though he were still asleep but as the light from their machines hit him, he lifted his head and squinted in their direction.

Singe felt himself freezing up like a scared rabbit. He shouldn't have that reaction. He was a Lycan, a powerful being in his own right even if his human self appeared small and frail. But he couldn't help it. Besides the damage he knew William's cells could do, there was just something about the first Lycan that made his animal self terrified. The recording equipment was sending the footage back to a laptop where Lucian and the others would be watching but if something went wrong, there wouldn't be anything they could do about it.

It wasn't just the aura of power around him. Singe had never been afraid of the alpha-level Lycans because he knew they wouldn't hurt him without reason. William was more than a Lycan. He was wildness personified, some sort of primeval monster who was not part of nature or man and his Lycan side wanted nothing to do with him.

Michael's breathing had quickened next to him and the young hybrid had his gaze fixed on the massive creature but his instinct seemed to lean more towards fight than flight. Singe didn't dare to move enough to see but he was sure Michael's eyes were black right now. William snuffled at the air taking in their scents. He realized there was someone here besides his brother and he let out a low growl. He hadn't seen anyone other than his brother since he'd woken up and he didn't appear too happy with his visitors.

"Calm yourself, brother. They're here with me. They won't hurt you." William subsided but he kept sniffing the air and regarding the two strange creatures with his pale red eyes. The taller one smelled a little like his brother but he was different and the shorter one smelled a bit like the children he'd created with every bite but the scent was muted, changed from his own. He didn't like it.

"We need to show them what you can do, William. Shall we begin?" Marcus took a step backward so they could clearly see what was happening. "William, show me three."

The Lycan moved his clawed hand so that only three fingers showed. Singe stared in surprise. He hadn't been sure what to expect but it wasn't this. Marcus wasn't done yet.

"William, do you want to be locked up?" The shaggy white head shook back and forth in a definite "No."

"Do you see, doctor? He understands me! His mind is still there, it's just lost under rage and pain. William, do you want to be cured?" This time there was an obvious nod. Marcus asked several other simple questions in quick succession with William nodding or shaking his head at each one.

Singe was reminded of a trained dog following the cues of its master but he knew better than to say so. This was very intriguing but he had to be somewhat skeptical. A few gestures didn't mean anything. William's mind might be that of a child and there was no way of telling how much intelligence he would retain if he were able to return to a human form.

"This is very interesting, Marcus. It is very promising but any treatment will still take time."

"I know, but now I have hope that William is still there and my brother is not gone." Marcus was pratically giddy. It was almost scary seeing the former Elder vampire so happy. Despite his murderous nature and his precarious, unpredictable personality, he really did care about his twin brother. It gave Singe hope that Marcus would be willing to give him the time he needed to find a treatment but it also put more pressure on him to actually suceed.

"I'm sure the others will find the recording very helpful. Is there anything more you'd like to show us while we're here?"

Despite the control that Marcus had over William, Singe was still nervous and wanted to wrap this up as soon as possible. He watched a thin line of drool slide from William's jaw and splatter on the floor. Luckily he wasn't close enough to be in contact with William's bodily fluids but he didn't want to take any more chances.

"No, doctor. You can scurry back to your lab now. Just remember that William is not a science project."

"I'll keep that in mind." He let Michael collect the equipment before they both walked out leaving the brothers together in their odd communication. Neither man said a word before they got back into the boat and it wasn't until they were back on the other side and walking together without anyone around that Michael seemed to calm down.

"That was bull. He could have trained him to act like that. It doesn't mean anything."

"I know but we have to keep in mind the possibility that William's mind is still in there somehow." It was difficult to see how William's sanity could have survived all those years of physical pain but his job was to allow William to return to a human shape. He wasn't a psychiatrist and they would have to deal with his mental state after they'd fixed his physical one.

"I don't see how he could be." Michael sounded frustrated and irritated. Singe stopped walking and it took the younger man a moment to realize he wasn't there. He frowned at the Lycan scientist. "What?"

"Why did you want to come along with me? What did you hope to accomplish back there?" Michael's eyes went black for a few seconds before he got control of himself. Singe's question was challenging and his animal self felt threatened but he took a deep breath and let it go.

"I feel like I'm just in the way. I sit in the infirmary all day hoping someone will actually need me but most of the time they don't. I'm one of only three hybrids and we're supposed to be the key to helping William but how am I doing that sitting around on my ass?"

"There is no room for three people in the lab and you've already helped by providing samples. There's nothing more to be done."

"I wasn't suggesting I help you out in the lab. I'm not a scientist. But Lucian and Corvinus won't even add me to the patrols. They say they have enough guards and I'm more useful as a doctor." There was a bitter tone to his voice but Singe had to wonder if there was something more to Michael's restlessness.

"What does Selene say about all of this?" That question seemed to strike a nerve. Michael looked away and his shoulders slumped a little.

"She agrees with them. She says I'm not trained in combat and she's trying to teach me some moves but she doesn't have the time to do it properly."

"If you ask nicely, Karl would probably be willing to teach you to fight when he's not on duty. The humans probably would as well although you would have to be careful with them." Michael could easily injure or kill one of the humans if he used his full hybrid strength on them but if he wanted to learn how to fight, it would be beneficial for him to have a variety of teachers. Fighting a vampire was not the same as fighting a Lycan or a human with dangerous weapons.

He realized it didn't have to stop there. There were people here with a wide variety of skills and knowledge. Maybe to pass the time they could set up small training sessions between the various groups. They couldn't spend all their time patrolling and gaining knowledge was always a worthwhile activity. Just as long as he didn't have to waste time attending or teaching any of the sessions, he liked the idea.

"I can bring it up with Lucian and Corvinus. They could probably make all the necessary arrangements to set up training sessionswith anyone who was interested. There are probably many here who would enjoy participating."

"You'd do that?" Michael looked surprised. He still didn't feel like he belonged here and his situation was unique so there was no one who could help him adjust. Lucian had been a Lycan for so long that gaining a vampire side barely phased him and he'd adjusted with barely any effort. Marcus seemed to have disdain for the Lycan half he'd acquired from Singe but he still accepted it and used it to further his goal of helping his brother.

Michael had not only had to come to terms with his new powers and abilities but with being thrust into the middle of a centuries-old war and a family history he'd never known about. Selene was treating him like a child who needed to be protected and in some ways that's exactly what he was compared to the rest of them. But he still needed instruction and they'd all been too busy to really help him before.

"Thanks." Michael looked relieved but also a little embarrassed. His anger was understandable but he shouldn't have snapped at Singe over it when the scientist was willing to help him.

"You're welcome. I'm sure they will be receptive to the idea. Now, let's get back and see what they say about William." Hopefully, the events of today would turn out to be useful but Singe feared that he still had a long road ahead of him.


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The air was filled with the sounds of screams and gunfire. The smell of blood lay heavy over everything as Singe ran through the halls trying to reach his lab. He didn't know how William had gotten loose but he suspected Marcus had a hand in it. He didn't know where anyone else was at the moment but he feared nothing would prove sufficient to stop the rampaging Lycan.

The door to his lab hung crooked on its hinges. He squeezed past it only to find a scene of carnage. Every instrument was smashed beyond recovery. The floor was littered with shards of broken glass, plastic fragments, and blood from the eviscerated figure in the middle of the floor.

Pawel was dead. His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. White ribs gleamed among the ruin of his chest and his lab coat was soaked red with blood. Singe didn't have time to feel sorry for the human. He picked his way across the floor to the other side of the room. His hand was on the handle of the hidden door when he heard something stirring behind him.

The hair on the back of his neck went up and against his will, he turned to see what was going on. Dr. Jablonski's body was twitching as it began regenerating right in front of him. Flesh flowed and reshaped itself into a more complete form and fur began to sprout as the potent virus changed the man's body into something far more primal.

He didn't bother to stay and watch the complete transformation. The accounts in Tanis's books had said that the virus could even reanimate the dead but he'd never thought it could happen so quickly. Singe went through the narrow space and closed the door tight behind him but he knew it wouldn't hold the new Lycan back for long.

He headed down the corridor only to freeze in place as he heard the heavy growling and panting from ahead of him and smelled the scent of death beyond the curve of the stone tunnel. There was no way out. Everyone else was either corrupted by the virus or still fighting for their life. He was trapped in a prison full of monsters.

The sound of heavy breathing was coming closer and he turned towards the only viable escape route. Last time he'd climbed these narrow steps, he'd taken his time. Now he scrambled up them two or three at a time, resorting to all fours when he could. He came out on top in pouring rain. Lightning flashed overhead and the air smelled of ozone.

He couldn't see anything below him so he had no way of knowing if anyone had escaped to the helicopter or not. It didn't matter as he had no way of reaching it himself. If he could transform, he might stand a chance. Lycans were large and muscular but they were also surprisingly agile and could easily scale the slick, stone walls if necessary.

As a human, it would be suicide to try and climb down from here in this type of weather. His only hope, a very slim one indeed, was that he could remain hidden up here until he could find another way out. His scent would still be in the air down below but perhaps the approaching Lycan would be more interested in his new brother in the lab.

That hope was dashed when he heard the distinct sound of claws clicking along the stairs and coming towards him. He wouldn't become a mindless monster. He'd rather die. Blinking back tears, the Lycan scientist climbed up onto the rim of the tower. A fall from this height would surely kill him and hopefully the virus wouldn't be introduced to his broken corpse to bring him back.

"Going somewhere, doctor?" He jerked around to face the door and was startled to see Marcus there instead of the Lycan he'd expected. The hybrid glared at him. "I thought you'd want to stay and see what you have wrought. After all, this is all your fault."

"I tried to save William. I tried everything I could think of but there is no cure." He clung desperately to the edge. If he fell right now, would Marcus swoop down and grab him before he could hit the ground? The thought of what Marcus would do to him was enough to make his hands shake. Better to crack open his skull on the rocks below than end up as Marcus's prisoner.

"You gave up. You told me your precious science would help him and you lied. Now everyone is going to suffer like he has suffered." Marcus grinned and he stepped aside to reveal red eyes on the steps behind him. William charged even as Singe threw himself backwards. He felt the pull of gravity and then his fall was halted as a massive, clawed hand closed around his ankle.

He was held, upside-down in mid-air and his stomach roiled as the next lightning flash revealed the huge winged form that had caught him. Air from his beating wings buffeted the Lycan scientist and then they rose up to meet William again on the tower. Singe was tossed at the albino's feet. He just had time to look up and meet those glowing eyes before massive jaws closed on his face and everything went black.

Singe jerked upright so quickly he almost fell off the narrow cot. Rain fell heavily outside and he heard the distant rumble of thunder. The dream had been so real that he found himself reaching up to make sure his face wasn't actually gone. His heart was pounding inside his chest and he had to take several deep breaths before he stopped shaking.

He'd had a few nightmares like that when he first started his research and figured out how dangerous William really was but they'd gone away once he'd begun burying himself in the puzzle of Corvinus DNA. None of them had been that vivid though and he knew what he had to thank for this new one.

It was nearly dawn and Pawel was sleeping in his room in the human wing. Singe was alone as he got up and padded over to the small locked freezer on the table. Six small vials containing a few precious milliliters of amber-colored fluid in each were unbroken and untouched. Five months of research had led to this possibility. If he and Dr. Jablonski were correct, this might be the first step towards restoring William to human form.

It wasn't a cure. Instead, the mixture had stabilized the virus within samples of William's blood in repeated tests. If it worked as well in his actual body, then he probably wouldn't be in constant pain anymore and if they could stabilize the virus then they would have a better chance of altering it and succeeding in their mission. It might make him less contagious as well.

Of course, science was always a matter of trial and error and it was possible that this wouldn't work at all. The virus within William was extremely powerful and there were no guarantees. He didn't know how Marcus would react to a failure let alone a string of failures but they had to just administer it and see what happened.

It had been quite a challenge to figure out how William had been changed. He was more than a human infused with a wolf. The virus had knit together strands of DNA to create something beyond either species. The current Lycans had recognizable human traits that William didn't possess. Still, he wasn't completely lost and they'd been able to pinpoint sections of his original genes by comparing the samples from Alexander.

Even with the serum in hand, he and Pawel had still debated over how much to administer. Under normal circumstances, a drug would be injected based on the patient's weight. They hadn't been able to weigh William properly but they had estimated it based on his size and they had more than enough serum to use on him. However, Singe had proposed that they use a larger dose in order to increase the chances it will work. The virus would fight against it and the drug might be used up before it could fully spread throughout his body.

Dr. Jablonski preferred caution. They could inject the measured dose of the drug and then if that didn't work, they could inject more at a later date. He was thinking of William as a patient but Singe preferred to think of him as an experiment. Decades of largely solitary research had made it hard for him to empathize with the first Lycan. Emotional distance was necessary in his line of work and his fear of William made it easier to see him as an animal.

Pawel seemed to think they were saving a poor, mutated human being. Singe knew better. They were simply trying to tame a dangerous and lethal weapon. William would always be a Lycan. It was just a matter of what sort of Lycan he would become. He doubted William could ever recover mentally from all those centuries of torment and in his mind, his job was to unlock William's potential and allow him to shapeshift between the two forms rather than restoring his humanity.

Even if the serum worked at the initial level, William's body would likely react in a negative way. He would probably have convulsions and other physical reactions. Hopefully, Marcus could accept that his brother would have to undergo more torment in order to reach the final goal just like he would have to accept that it was going to be a long process.

His breath was visible in the air as he went back to his cot and changed his clothes. The prison tended to be cold anyway due to it's location but they needed to keep this room cool for the instruments so he'd learned to dress warmly. It was already fall and it was only going to get colder as the season progressed.

Everyone had settled into a routine now. Corvinus was satisfied that the vampires weren't monitoring this place and the helicopter was sent out every two weeks now for supplies. They'd even rotated some of the human soldiers out and replaced them with others to avoid anyone getting too bored. The Lycans didn't care. They were used to being patient and this place was certainly better than many of their former refuges. He didn't know or care how the two vampires were reacting to the isolation.

Singe was on edge. Today was the day they would test the treatment on William and he wanted it to be over. Whatever happened, he just wanted to get past this stage so he could begin the next phase of the research. There were still hours before they would go to the prison chamber and administer the treatment but until then, he decided to busy himself rechecking the calculations for the fiftieth time.

Karl brought him a breakfast of bacon and sausage. He forced himself to eat it even though he didn't feel hungry. The meal sat heavy in his stomach as Pawel entered. The human scientist was annoyingly cheerful and Singe ignored him as he checked over the tests that had been running overnight on the instruments. Creating the drug didn't mean that other avenues of study came to a halt. If this didn't work as planned, they needed to have more possibilities to explore.

By the time they were getting ready to leave, he felt calmer. Either this would work or it wouldn't. Worrying wouldn't change the outcome. He take the small case containing the drug and grabbed a bag containing other supplies. After the drug had been injected, he'd need to take more blood samples every few hours for the next twenty-four hours to see how William was reacting.

There were only a small group waiting by the boat when he arrived. Lucian, Isadore, and Alexander Corvinus greeted him but didn't say anything else to him as they were rowed across. Everyone was tense and waiting to see what would happen. Singe stared at the dark water, clutching his cases and wondering idly where he would be in twenty-four hours.

The humans had been working on a way to drain the water but they had decided in the end to leave it the way it was. There was too much risk involved in trying to divert the water. It could flood other areas or even undermine the foundation. Better to just leave it where it was. Anyway, in the event that William escaped, the water might slow him down for a precious few seconds.

The stench of William still hung heavy in the air as they reached the other side of the lake. In the rest of the prison, it was partially masked by the new inhabitants but here William was still dominant. The guards unlocked the door to the prison chamber. Henryk was the Lycan on duty today but he kept his eyes down on the floor as Singe passed him and the scientist ignored him as unimportant.

Marcus waited for them at his brother's side as usual. He gave his father a hard stare and then pointedly ignored his presence. Alexander waited to be here first hand to see the test even though it was dangerous for him. Marcus had administered a sedative to William to keep him still for the tests but none of them knew how he might react to the smell of his father in the room if he woke up unexpectedly.

Alexander set up the camera equipment that Michael had brought last time. The young hybrid would be watching it from the control room along with Selene, Raze, and Pawel. There was no point in delaying at all so Singe readied the syringe with a full dose of the drug and approached the unconscious Lycan. The scientist was clad in protective gear to avoid any physical contact with William. He wasn't taking any chances of infection.

He and Dr. Jablonski had agreed to compromise. William would be receiving a larger dose than his weight would require but not as large as Singe had wanted. The last image of his nightmare flashed through his mind but he shook it off and grasped one massive furry hand. He injected the contents of the syringe into William's arm and stepped back.

The first Lycan's hyper-acclerated system would carry the drug throughout his body in a matter of minutes. Everyone watched intently for any sign of a reaction. As the minutes ticked by, Singe wondered if they had made a mistake. Maybe the dose was too low to affect the massive body. Maybe the drug wasn't affecting his cells as readily as it had affected the lab samples.

It was a full twenty minutes and Marcus was becoming restless when William's breathing became heavier. He began panting deeply and his body twitched against the restraints. His heartbeat accelerated and he began thrashing in mindless panic. The silver bands actually creaked as William threw his entire weight against them. A howl arose from his throat, so loud that all of them cringed and clapped their hands over their ears. It seemed to go on for a very long time although it was probably only seconds in reality.

Then the howl died out into choking gasps and William went limp again. His heartbeat was much slower and he seemed to be breathing normally. Singe rushed forward and began checking his condition. There was no way to tell just by looking at him but judging from his reaction, the drug appeared to have worked. He busied himself taking blood samples and comparing William's vitals to previous readings.

His heart was beating slower but it seemed to be a good sign rather than an indication of any problems. His resting rate was now slightly higher than a normal Lycan's instead of being twice as fast as it had been before. His breathing was even and his eyes were responding normally. There was no way to tell if the changes were permanent or just temporary but overall, Singe was pleased with the response.

He took the needed blood samples and handed them over to Corvinus. Rather than travel back and forth, he would remain here for the next twenty-four hours and monitor William's condition. Pawel would test the first set of blood samples and radio back with the results. Until then, Marcus and Singe would keep William company. The other three departed with the samples and Singe was left alone with the twins.

Removing some of the protective gear, he settled down against the far wall and prepared for a long day. Blood samples needed to be taken every two hours so sleep would be difficult to achieve. He couldn't relax in William's presence anyway. The nightmares here in this stifling, stinking room would probably be worse than before.

Marcus appeared to be studying William intently. Apparently satisfied that the worst was over, he crossed the room and sat down a few feet away. Singe took out the notebook he'd been keeping on William's case and began adding the events of today but there wasn't much to write. They wouldn't know anything until the results of the blood tests came back.

"He seems better, doctor. He's more relaxed, anyway. Thanks to you." Marcus wasn't looking at him or at William. His head was tipped back and his eyes closed. Singe eyed him warily and realized that Marcus probably hadn't slept well either. He'd known the test was coming and had to have experienced the same worries about whether this would work or not.

"You're welcome but this is just the first step. I still have so much to do. Your brother's case is very difficult."

"William is many things but difficult was never one of them before. He was such a nice, polite boy and always so eager to please our father. Did you know, when William was born, the midwife thought he wouldn't make it? He was so small and sickly compared to me but he was a fighter. He survived through childhood illnesses that killed other boys our age and through every obstacle that life threw at him.

My mother even made him a special, hooded cloak so he could go out in the sun. There were superstitions back then about albinos but no one dared to tell a son of Lord Corvinus that he was a freak and I defended my brother against the cruel words of our peers. He did well at music, at riding, at many of the skills that boys were expected to learn back then."

Singe listened carefully to every word. He wasn't sure where Marcus was going with this but it was obviously important to him to tell someone and no one else would care. He had no friends here and kept to himself as much as possible. He spent the majority of his time with William or in his room. It must be difficult for him to be so close to his brother and not be able to help him. Marcus had to rely on others to do what he couldn't to save William.

"Our mother loved him, you know. She always doted on him, on all three of us really, but I think he was her favorite. But Alexander ignored him as much as possible. He was never cruel, at least not directly, and he never let anyone treat William badly but it was obvious he didn't know what to do with his second-born son. I think he kept me at a distance for the same reason. I was William's other half and I wanted him to participate in everything I did.

He was so relieved to have Thomas. A normal son who never gave him problems and who looked just like him. I favored our mother more. He had to train me as his heir but I knew he'd rather let Thomas fill that role. Part of him was probably relieved that we had our accidents. It allowed him to disown us and name Thomas as his official heir."

William began stirring just then and both of them turned to look but his movement died down again and then there was only silence in the room. Marcus sighed and closed his eyes again. Singe didn't know what to say so he busied himself rereading his notes. Personally, he thought that Marcus didn't give his father enough credit.

Alexander Corvinus was a man who prided himself on his strength and power. From everything Marcus had told him, William had been small and sickly. His albinism would have left him with weak eyesight and a sensitivity to sunlight. He certainly hadn't been the son that Alexander expected but as Marcus had said, he never let anyone treat William with scorn or malice.

Plus, he had still been the ruler of a large rural area back then. He wouldn't have had much time to interact with his sons when they were younger. They would probably have seen him as cold and distant but it was customary in those days for a nobleman to leave the raising of his children to others until they were older. Corvinus couldn't have known that his sons would end up as monsters. He couldn't even be sure they were immortal.

Alexander would have been expected to provide heirs since no one knew he was immortal but he must have lived with the knowledge that his wife would die some day and his children would most likely do the same. He would probably have faked his own death at some point and allowed one of his sons or grandsons to inherit his position and then he would have had to keep an eye on his descendants hoping they would be wise and just rulers.

Singe left no personal attachments behind when he became a Lycan. He'd had no close family and even his friendships had been casual and mostly based on work. But there were Lycans who had been recruited into the fight, sometimes against their will, who had left wives, children, loved ones behind. They would only endanger their families by staying and there was no point in trying to turn them too when they probably wouldn't survive the process.

That's why they usually recruited from men down on their luck who had nothing left to lose anyway. To an immortal, mortal family members were a weakness and a distraction. And yet, Alexander had created a family and was even now trying to save his sons. He certainly had made mistakes as a father but Marcus had made just as many on his own. Only William could be said to be "innocent" of anything since he had no conscious control over his actions.

The first two hours were almost up when Pawel called Singe with the results. William hadn't stirred but that was a good sign. His body had suffered quite a shock and he needed to rest. Singe answered the call and saw Marcus stir out of the corner of his eye.

"Singe, it worked!" Pawel sounded thrilled as well he should be at their first success. "The virus is dormant in his blood cells. It's stable and I think it might be more suspectible to the hybridization process."

This was more than he'd hoped. It was still too early to say if the virus would stay dormant but if they could give him regular doses of the serum, then they could prepare his body to complete the hybridization process. They still needed to run a lot of test before he could be sure it would work but it was a promising first and maybe even second step.

"See if it will combine with any of the vampire samples. I'll be sending the next set of bloodwork out soon." They needed to know how long the effects would last in order to prepare for the next step in William's treatment. It was possible that this dormancy was permanent but he doubted it.

More likely, the virus would begin to fight back and the drug would be consumed. They wouldn't give him any more until they were sure they could make him a hybrid. Dosing him repeatedly would only allow the virus to adapt to the drug and overcome it quicker. They would need larger and larger doses to treat him and eventually it would lose it's effect completely.

But this was a promising development. Singe would take the blood samples and send them back all day and then they could decide where to go from there. He felt a real stirring of hope. It had been necessary to keep a clinical detachment about the research but the thrill of a very real breakthrough was a reminder of everything he loved about his job.

"Congratulations, doctor. It appears you may be just as capable as I'd hoped." Marcus had an actual smile on his face. "I guess I won't have to kill you after all."

Marcus meant it as a joke but Singe flinched all the same. The image of William's jaws closing on his face flashed through his mind but the scientist pushed it away. Nothing could spoil the success of this day…

Zurich, Switzerland

The vampire technician sat in the cluttered office, feeling completely bored. Ever since they'd been put on lockdown, there had been nothing to do and nowhere to go. It was why he had volunteered to review and organize some of the old records that had been stored here for decades. It was tedious work but at least it helped pass the time.

Filed here were surveillance reports and intelligence gathered by agents from all over Europe. With Varosliget gone, they were the largest depository for information on Lycan activity. The mutts were largely dispersed after the war and it made it harder to track the remaining ones down but any hint of a Lycan presence had to be investigated and a report filed.

Carrick hadn't even been alive when the last war had finished and truthfully, had never even seen an actual Lycan but he'd been taught to hate and fear them as all vampires were. The older files were harder to read, often written in small, faded handwritten accounts in multiple languages so he had decided to just focus on the past century. Everything else could wait.

File after file was nothing more than rumors and possible sightings. There were very few Lycans left judging from these files and even the Death Dealers only recorded a few sporadic kills here and there. He was perfectly happy with that. The less of these monsters, the better.

Carrick picked up a manila folder that was at the bottom of the stack he'd just gone through. Opening it up, he was surprised to see aerial photographs of some sort of castle surrounded by mountains. It didn't look like anything he was familiar with. There was a single sheet of paper scribbled with brief notes. He was fluent in four languages and could read the German fairly easily but he had no idea what it was referring to.

"Site untouched. W secure. Yearly surveillance complete. 10/30/54."

Where was this site? Who or what was "W?" Was yearly surveillance still being carried out? He had no frame of reference for this file. The back of the file was stamped with Varosliget's offical seal. He had no idea how it had ended up here although his coven was known for it's intelligence gathering. Maybe he could find more files that would clarify the situation. This was going to require more searching. At last, he had an actual mystery on his hands. Carrick resumed his organizing with renewed vigor.


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: This is one of the few chapters not told from Singe's POV.

The sun was barely above the horizon as Anton loped along the narrow ridge, sniffing at the air even as he kept an eye out for his prey. The loose rock under his massive claws would be treacherous footing for a human but he never missed a step despite the sheer drop to his right. Lycans might be huge and bulky but thanks to their shapeshifting abilities and the elasticity of their bodies, they were as agile as a cat.

He sensed his opponent mere seconds before he attacked and barely managed to dodge a swift blow that would have knocked him off his feet. Years of captivity had made him rusty. In his days as Lucian's third-in-command, he never would have let anyone get that close to him. Executing an acrobatic maneuver that tumbled him backwards away from his foe, he regained his feet and faced off against the other Lycan.

Greta was circling slowly, a grin on her muzzle at having got the drop on her mate. She feinted sideways and then bounded straight at him. He let her tackle him and they rolled around, snapping at each other without any real intent. Anton was larger and more experienced but he was still slow and somehow, Greta managed to pin him.

"You're dead." Her teeth snapped inches from his throat and then she stepped back and let him get up. Both of them shifted back into human form and shrugged on the loose robes they'd left nearby. It was mainly for the humans sake as they seemed to find naked Lycans wandering around to be more of a problem than furry ones but the cold air was also uncomfortable in human form.

These daily training sessions were supposed to help Anton get back into fighting form but he was acutely aware of how weak he was after so much time being chained. Singe might have pronounced him fit for duty but his muscles still ached and his reflexes were all off. Greta never would have won one of their matches before unless he let her win but she had bested him legitimately. He was panting slightly from the exertion, his breath creating plumes in front of him in the cold air.

They both jogged over the terrain until they reached the side entrance they'd left from. Other than the rooftop which was only used by Marcus, there were three ways into and out of the prison. Besides the dry dock they'd first found, there were two small doors whose existence had been hidden until the humans had discovered them with their imaging devices. The lack of escape routes made Anton nervous. If they ever needed to evacuate quickly, it would be difficult to do so.

There weren't even that many windows in the building either as it had been made for confinement rather than as a living space. Singe was lucky to have a window in his lab even if it did open onto a huge drop. They'd found a door on that side as well but it opened onto thin air and even the Lycans would have trouble scaling the steep, vertical cliff beneath it. It had probably been part of the security measures, meant to lure someone to their death if they tried to rush through it.

The Lycans and vampires didn't mind the rough, windowless rooms but some of the humans complained about the lack of fresh air and sunlight. It would only get worse in winter when the flights in and out would happen less frequently. Unless, Singe and the human scientist developed a cure within the next couple of weeks, they were all likely to get snowed in for a while.

It was mid-October now and they were lucky that the weather had held this long. Snow in the Romanian mountains could begin at any time but so far they'd only had a few flurries. Anton wouldn't mind the snow. The time spent here felt like a vacation after the previous decade and the longer they stayed, the more he could recover his strength.

Stefan's loss still hurt, even two decades later, but he was learning how to live with the grief. Greta's presence was helping him immensely. She had been both supportive and challenging, pushing him to do everything he could to return to his previous level of strength. Her support was the only thing he could rely on in this new situation. She'd shown him pictures of his granddaughter, his little Antonia, and he wanted to meet her in person when this was over.

He was still getting used to the idea of working with humans let alone vampires. He avoided Selene and Erika as much as possible but then so did most of the people here. Selene was cold and distant to everyone except Michael and Erika seemed too afraid to leave her room most of the time which was fine with him. The idea of Lucian and this Michael being hybrids was a lot to deal with as well.

Not only did Lucian smell different, he moved differently than before. He'd always been confident but now he actually seemed more relaxed. His plan had worked rather well and the Lycans had the upper hand at the moment even though the vampires didn't realize it. Anton had seen no sign of coldness or malice from Lucian after his release but he was acutely aware that one more mistake and he would be gone. Lucian may be forgiving but he would not tolerate anything getting in the way of finishing what he'd started.

That was fine with Anton who had no intention of disobeying his alpha again or of putting the Pack in danger. Everything was leading him to renewing his role in the Pack, even though he probably wouldn't be the third-in-command ever again. He'd broken Lucian's trust in him and the Lycan Alpha could only forgive so much. Dmitri, who was currently guarding the main Sanctuary, was the current Gamma wolf. That was fine. Anton didn't care about status anymore. All he cared about was the survival of the Pack and his family.

Once inside, they made their way to their room. The Lycan members had the rooms closest to the corridor that led to William's cell. If he did escape, they would have a slightly better chance of stopping him than the humans would. With only six Lycans besides Lucian, they had chosen a cluster of rooms that allowed them all to have their own room unlike the humans who were sharing close quarters.

Anton and Greta had a shared chamber because they had been apart for too long but everyone else had their privacy. Anton sat down on the bed. He shouldn't feel this tired after a simple training exercise and he didn't want anyone but Greta seeing how weak he was still. His wife curled against his side, sharing her warmth with him.

"How about I go pick up a little something to eat? We could have breakfast in bed." She said softly in his ear. "Unless you're not up to it, old man."

"You're older than me, woman. Breakfast in bed would be nice, though." His wife just laughed and got up to go fetch their meal. He shivered at the sudden loss of warmth but he knew she'd be back soon. The blankets piled on the bed kept them warm at night but the stone chamber was always cold and the odor of William lingered as an undercurrent despite all their efforts to ignore it.

The monstrous Lycan bothered Anton more than he'd care to admit. Everything about him; small, sight, and sound made Anton's instinct go haywire. The animal part of him wanted to flee but he'd long ago learned to control his animal side. It was what Lucian wanted for all his Lycans-control, civility, rational thinking, but it was hard for the younger ones.

Still, it was like living with a constant sense of danger even besides the knowledge of what William's blood could do to everyone in the prison and beyond. Anton just had to hope that Singe could cure or contain the threat and fulfill all their expectations. It was actually relaxing knowing that he wasn't the one responsible for making the decisions anymore. He was just another foot soldier in Lucian's army and as long as he followed orders, everything would be okay. Sighing, he settled further into the blankets and waited for Greta to return with the food.

The large room they all used for a cafeteria was just as cold as the rest of the prison. Henryk sat hunched at a table by himself, as far away from the humans as possible. The steak he was gnawing on tasted like ashes in his mouth as he watched the group of human soldiers laughing and talking among themselves.

They should have been afraid of him, should have run at the sight of him sitting there in Lycan form. It wasn't natural to work with humans or those disgusting bloodsuckers. If he had his way, they'd all be dead and he'd be ripping into their helpless flesh instead of this dry steak. Lucian's cooperation with them only proved his weakness as a leader.

His time as one of Tanis's guards hadn't been as horrible as he'd initially thought. Sure, the lack of freedom had been galling and the silver chains had constantly burned his flesh but he preferred being in his Lycan form. Most of the time, all he had to do was sleep and eat which was fine with him. He'd even had a few fun moments at times.

The fortress had occasionally attracted the attention of either thieves or stupid teenagers who tried to sneak into the seemingly abandoned building. He remembered one such incident where he'd attacked the humans from behind as they ventured too close to his lair. Their screams had been sweet as he tore them apart and feasted on their flesh. His directive to protect Tanis meant he'd had permission to eliminate anyone who might find out the truth about the vampire's presence.

Henryk would almost prefer going back to that to having to pretend to be on of Lucian's bootlickers here. The other Lycans looked down on him, even that arrogant bastard, Anton who had been in the same situation as him. He had done far worse than Henryk had and yet everyone seemed to forgive Anton while still treating him like scum.

Anton's mate entered the room, heading for the kitchen end where food was distributed to Lycans and humans alike. There were no separate sections and the only difference was that the humans were given a wider range of meals than the Lycans. Henryk watched her surreptitiously as he swallowed another bite. Another thing he was irritated about was the presence of women. As far as he was concerned, this was a war camp and women had no place here. Even the humans included several women among their numbers, and both of the resident vampires were female.

It disgusted him that the Lycan women here were considered his superiors. He was at the bottom of the little pack here and had to obey any order given to him by another Lycan unless it contradicted an order by someone even higher. Pretending to be a properly chastened and submissive Lycan was harder and harder. Even as he kept his head low and his posture nonthreatening in Greta's presence, he was imagining what he would do to her if he could.

She barely glanced at him as she swept out with two full plates of food but even that brief glance held contempt. He averted his eyes but his claws twitched over the stone surface as the anger boiled inside of him. He could have killed her before she could even react and then the rest of the humans as well but there was no way out of this valley and he wouldn't be able to get all of them before they took him down. Survival was more important than his pride.

He really wished he'd been left behind with the others at the fortress. The first chance he'd gotten, he would have killed the weaselly little vampire and those other useless fools and set off on his own. Henryk was sure he could easily establish his own criminal empire that would provide him with everything he wanted in life-power, money, respect, women. Forget Lucian's pitiful notions of peace and civilization. Creatures like them were meant to rule lesser beings.

The vampires had the right idea. They controlled much of human society from behind the scenes, lived in lavish surroundings, and didn't worry about being hunted by anyone. Their problem was their centuries of power had made them weak, decadent, and lazy. Not all of them, of course. The Death Dealers were at least competent warriors but most of them had gone soft and Lucian wanted the same for his Lycans. Ridiculous.

His mind filled with dark, bloody thoughts, Henryk finished his steak and slunk through the halls to take up his position outside William's cell. He still hoped to gain the first Lycan as an ally but if that didn't happen then he'd just think of something else. He could be patient when he needed to be.

Erika sat huddled in her little room, bored out of her mind. She was really beginning to regret coming here. It had seemed like it might be an exciting adventure at first but she hadn't counted on the long weeks of waiting and doing nothing. Singe had already taken samples from her when they first arrived and now no one seemed to need her for anything.

She missed Ordoghaz with its opulent surroundings, extensive wardrobes, and frequent parties. Mostly she missed the company of her own kind. Even though she'd been a lowly servant, she still had friends she could talk to even if it was mostly about frivolous gossip. Selene was the only other vampire in residence and she had no time for chatting or anything really that didn't involve Michael.

It was bizarre to think of Selene being in love. She'd always seemed cold and heartless even to her own kind. Erika had heard other vampires claiming Viktor's daughter was carved from ice rather then flesh. But there was no denying the way she and Michael were drawn to each other. She even seemed more relaxed around him.

That was the kind of relationship Erika had always hoped for. She knew now that her feelings for Kraven had been a one-sided crush and he had only been using her. But that didn't mean there wasn't someone else out there for her. Maybe, when this was all over, she could find another coven to join.

There wasn't even anyone here she could count as a friend. Marcus scared her even besides knowing he was responsible for the slaughter of everyone at Ordoghaz. She avoided him as much as possible even though he'd ignored her the few times they'd been in proximity.

The Lycans scared her too. Several centuries of propaganda made it hard for her to see them as anything other than monsters despite spending time with them now. Lucian seemed civilized enough but the rest of them still looked at her with barely-disguised loathing. The humans all kept a politely formal distance from the immortals they were sharing space with by order of Corvinus.

So that left her utterly bereft of the companionship she was used to with no way of changing her circumstances at all. Just as in the coven, she was a lowly, background member of a larger group. Maybe tonight, she would take a walk outside of the prison and get some fresh air.

Sighing, she pulled out her sketchbook and began a new drawing. She'd started by sketching ideas for new fashion but now she'd begun drawing the various members of the expedition. Back at Ordoghaz, she'd been careful to hide her little hobby. Many of the older vampires were snobby and would brag about knowing famous artists personally.

They would definitely have sneered at her simple sketches. Still, it was the only way she had to pass the time lately and there was no one around to care about them so she'd found herself drawing more and more. She carefully applied the shading to a picture of Selene and Michael together. The oversize pad was almost full. Maybe she could slip in a request for another one to the next supply list. Only five more hours until sunset.

Isadore sat on the edge of the cliff, appearing still and composed. The cold breeze blew into her face masking the mingled smells of humans, vampires, and Lycans from the prison behind her. Although she had the strength to control herself, the scent of vampires still raised her hackles instinctively.

Her father had been one of the men who had followed Lucian out of the vampire stronghold to freedom. She had been the first child born to any of the "human" Lycans and she suspected that Lucian sometimes looked at her and thought about his own lost child. It was why nothing would probably ever happen between them. There was too much history and too much loss for both of them.

Isadore had lost both parents, two mates, two children, and one grandson to the war as well as more friends than she could count. She was fiercely devoted to Lucian's plans for peace, not only for the sake of her people but for her remaining children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Peace seemed an impossible dream after so many centuries of war but it was the only thing that was worth fighting for in her opinion.

She'd thought she was done with fighting. Retirement to the Hungary Sanctuary had been a necessity. War had burnt out her heart and she'd been honored to play a role in nurturing the generations of Lycans who'd been raised apart from the war.

Soldiers were necessary but Lucian's dream, besides peace, was to establish an actual civilization for his people and to accomplish that he needed to have "civilized" Lycans as an example. When peace was finally achieved, there needed to be an existing society in place that could form the basis for their future.

So those raised in the Sanctuaries could choose whether to join the fight or not. Some did but many had lived in the Sanctuaries for decades or even centuries without ever knowing war. The Lycans closest to Lucian, the ones who followed him were all warriors, with a few exceptions like Singe, and at times the two versions seemed almost alien to each other.

A lot of the fighters in Lucian's group had been recruited(sometimes forcibly) from humans who were often on the outskirts of society-the homeless, criminals, disgruntled ex-military and police officers and anyone else who might be useful and wouldn't be missed. They were essentially cannon fodder in the ongoing war. It was a brutal truth but one they had all accepted as a necessity.

A Lycan's instinct was to follow his leader which made even new recruits, who hadn't grown up in Lycan society, generally obedient. There were a few here and there who had challenged Lucian for the role of alpha but none had lived to spread their disobedience. Anyone who thought Lucian was an easy mark because he was smaller than them or less boastful of his abilities soon learned their mistake.

Isadore's expression turned dark as she considered the biggest threats to Lucian at the moment. Marcus couldn't be trusted, not completely anyway. They all knew it but had to hope that he would uphold his part of the bargain. She knew she was no match for the hybrid Elder no matter her age or experience and therefore there was nothing she could do about him for now other than be vigilant.

Then there was William himself. Either through escape or merely existing he was an overt threat to all of them. There was no guarantee that allowing him to regain human form would make him any less dangerous. She wasn't sure if Lucian could take out William if he were challenged by him. Lucian was cunning, a genius, and now a hybrid but William was pure power and rage. The very thought of them facing off against each other gave her chills. But there was nothing she could do about that either so she considered the other threat.

The vampires were effectively neutralized at the moment. What worried her was that Lucian was distracted by all of the recent events. There were so many pieces falling into place in his favor that he might not notice what was right under his nose. She'd seen the way Henryk looked at all of them when he thought no one was looking.

The Polish-born Lycan was the right mix of size, resentment, and anger to pose a possible threat. He was a baby compared to Lucian or herself but that didn't mean he couldn't get lucky if Lucian was distracted. She'd mentioned her concerns to Raze but he'd assured her they were keeping an eye on Henryk and had him under control.

In her younger days, she had often acted as a spy for Lucian. Humans were far too often more trusting of a pretty, seemingly helpless young woman. It might be time to bring those skills forward again and use it to keep a closer watch of her own on Henryk. Nothing could be allowed to threaten the safety of the Pack, not even one of it's own. If Henryk was a threat to the peace process, she'd take him down herself and explain it to Lucian later.

Carrick sat at a long table with numerous files spread out before him. He'd found several more references to the mysterious castle but nothing that gave him any more information as to where it was or what "W" referred to.

As a boy, he'd been consumed with a need for knowledge. He devoured every book he could get his hands on, listened to stories of different lands with rapt attention while other boys his age were out playing, and aced every class he'd taken. As soon as he was old enough, he'd taken a small fortune he'd inherited from his late father and left the streets of Dublin behind for England and then the rest of Europe.

He'd spent years going from one place of learning to another. Carrick was gifted with a perfect memory that allowed him to retain all of the information he'd encountered. Unfortunately for him, he'd never put much stock in the stories about monsters like vampires, dismissing them as superstitious nonsense.

So it had come as some surprise when he'd come to the attention of the vampires and been forcibly added to their ranks. At the time, they'd been looking for learned men, ones who could be beneficial to a race of immortals who had trouble keeping up with the rapid pace of new discoveries and inventions. Vampires tended to be set in their ways and didn't embrace change readily.

Carrick had been useful at first but locked up in the coven, his useful knowledge had eventually dwindled and he'd been regulated to the position of assistant librarian. Vampire society was carefully controlled to prevent detection by the humans so most low-ranking members were only allowed outside under supervision.

Carrick had buried himself in books to cope with the shock of suddenly becoming a blood-drinking immortal and given up all hopes of ever traveling the world again. Escape was nearly impossible and the older immortals terrified him too much to think of rebellion. Three centuries had passed without any change in his circumstances.

He heard stories about what was happening in human society but he already felt apart from his old life. Even when he was allowed to go outside, he found himself feeling like an intruder. People carried on their short lives around him while he was stuck like a bug in amber. At times, he felt like the virus had extinguished his soul along with his mortality leaving only apathy in its wake.

That was why he had volunteered to organize the stored data. Not only did it help to pass the time, but he'd hoped that something in these dusty pages would help to jump start his mind again. It seemed to have worked as this mystery had captured his attention to the point of obsession. No one seemed to care that he spent hours going through decaying records almost to the point of forgetting to eat.

Carrick opened another file, this one dated from 1983, and found himself staring at another picture of the same building except that this one was in color and from a different angle. He leaned forward, studying every aspect of the photo. The area looked desolate and uninviting. He still had no idea where this was but the annual date displayed on each of the photos was in a little over a week.

This place was important. He didn't know why but he was determined to find out. He'd been teaching himself useful skills over the years, something the older vampires tended to disdain. Computers were just another area where his curiosity had driven him to learn everything he could about how to use them. He should be able to hack into the security system and find out more but it was risky.

The old determination was slowly rising in him again to solve this mystery for his own sake. The vampires controlled several satellites for surveillance purposes. If this site was checked every year, than one of them would have to be used, as the lockdown meant no flights would be allowed. He could do this and maybe figuring this out would lead him back to finding his purpose again.


End file.
